Open Arms (Revised)
by DARecruit
Summary: Same story, new/updated approach. Open Arms is the story of fourteen-year-old Rachel Berry who discovers her mother is none other than Broadway superstar, Shelby Corcoran, after her fathers give her back to the woman to raise. Join them as they navigate their new life together and discover what it means to be mother and daughter.
1. Changes

**Hello Readers! I know it's been awhile since an update—and I'm not sure this really counts—but I've been driving myself crazy for over a year debating if I should do this or not. There's so many things in these earlier chapters (and even some of the newer ones) that I wish I could change. And then I realized...I can. Bear with me...**

 **I've been writing this story for about three years now, and in that time I've grown from a young college student to an adult, I've gotten married, we're trying for kids...I've grown, had new experiences...I don't think about this story in the same way I did when I began. I've gotten better, grown with the characters, have a connection to them now. For me, going back through and changing what I've always wanted to, making the story better...it's important to me. And I hope, to you.**

 **I hope these chapters are worth your time. I know you must want new material. I'm sorry if you feel this is a cop-out. I hope you stick with me and trust me.**

 **This story is dedicated to YOU, the readers—the ones who have been here since the beginning and keep coming back, to the ones who have just found the story and read straight through. Without you, I wouldn't be writing this.**

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 **Chapter One: Changes**

Shelby Corcoran, Broadway superstar and Tony Award-winning actress, stepped off the plane at Lima Allen County Airport to a flashing of cameras. She sighed. This is not how she wanted to be greeted. It was inevitable though. Ever since the news broke out a month ago that two gay men with an adopted daughter wanted to give their daughter back to her surrogate mother (who just so happened to be, well, Shelby), paparazzi followed her everywhere.

Shelby walked with her publicist and two bodyguards towards the airport and the car waiting for her. She had a carryon bag that she brought with her, and her luggage would be brought to the hotel later. She just wanted to get away from the paparazzi as quickly as possible. That, and she was anxious to get to Rachel.

Rachel…the baby she had given up nearly fifteen years ago. She thought she was giving her daughter to a loving family who wanted a child. Hiram and LeRoy Berry were a lovely couple when she first met them all those years before. They had made sure Shelby was as comfortable as possible during her pregnancy and she was paid handsomely for being their surrogate.

Shelby had only been twenty-one at the time, fresh out of college with big dreams of making it on Broadway. But in order to do that, she needed money. She had answered an ad in the paper to be a surrogate for a newly married gay couple that couldn't have a child on their own. Shelby had met with them and taken to them right away. A contract was drawn up, stating that Shelby could not contact her child until the eighteenth year unless both fathers passed away or voided the contract for whatever reason. Shelby had agreed because she truly wanted to help these men start a family. And she could forge a relationship with her child once he or she was older and explain everything then.

But on May 1st, everything changed. She received a phone call that would forever change her life.

" _Shelby Corcoran?" a male voice asked as soon as she picked up._

" _Yes?"_

" _Shelby…it's LeRoy. LeRoy Berry," the man said._

 _Shelby's heart sped up and her mouth immediately went dry. "LeRoy? Oh my God, Rachel. Is she...is she alright?" Shelby croaked, thousands of scenarios suddenly flashing through her head. Why on earth would LeRoy be calling unless something was serious? She hadn't spoken to either of the Berry men since she gave birth to Rachel._

" _Rachel is fine…but she's the reason I called," LeRoy said._

 _Shelby took a deep breath and listened as LeRoy explained. "Hiram and I have been talking a lot about what is best for Rachel. We…we can't give her what she needs. Neither of us are any good at being fathers. We're too selfish. Rachel needs a parent who is able to put her first. We can't. We want to give her to you."_

" _W-what? To me?" Shelby asked, not believing her ears. She had spent the last fourteen years constantly thinking about that little girl she gave up. Not a day went by that Rachel wasn't on her mind. What was she like? What were her interests? Did she look like Shelby?_

" _We don't know what to do with a teenage girl. She needs a mother—her mother—you. She needs you, Shelby…unless you don't want her, that is. We can find different arrangements."_

" _What? No! Of course I want her! I just…I don't understand. You were both so…happy…before. You wanted her…what changed?" Shelby asked._

" _We were young and didn't realize the reality of raising a child. It's just…we've realized over the years that we don't take as much interest in her as we should. We…we don't put her first. We want to do as we please—travel the world, go on adventures. We can't do that with a child tying us down."_

" _So you're just…tossing her aside? Just like that?" Shelby asked quietly. She was shocked, but anger was quickly rising to the surface. "When I agreed to be your surrogate, I was doing so under the impression that I was helping to build your family. You promised you'd love Rachel…cherish her. You promised—"_

" _I know, Shelby. I know…we…we feel awful about it, really. We're trying to do the right thing here," LeRoy interjected._

" _How…how long have you both felt like this? How long has Rachel…does she know she's loved? Have you made her…Oh God."_

" _We've known for quite awhile—"_

" _Why didn't you get in contact with me sooner? I've always wanted Rachel. I would have given her everything she needed. I—"_

" _I know Shelby. Hiram and I…we were too proud to admit—"_

" _We're talking about Rachel's happiness. She's a child…_ my _child. How could you?" Shelby all but screamed at the man, breaking down in tears._

" _I know it's not ideal, doing it now…we should have given her back years ago. But we're trying to make it right now. Please understand, Shelby," LeRoy pleaded, and Shelby could hear the catch in his voice._

Shelby spent the past four weeks getting her affairs in order. She needed to make sure that she could be there for Rachel without interruption. She wanted to spend the entire summer with her daughter, bonding and getting into a routine, before she went back for her sophomore year of high school. Shelby wanted to keep things as normal as possible for the girl, so she was leaving Broadway behind and moving back to Ohio. She had grown up there, after all, and her entire family still lived in the area. Shelby would find a house in Lima so Rachel could still attend her school. Shelby was well off, so money wouldn't be an issue. She was determined to be the best damn parent in the world to her little girl.

As Shelby climbed into the back of a black Rolls Royce Phantom that would take her to her baby girl, she thought about what her first meeting with her daughter will be like. They had spoken on the phone each day since Rachel's fathers told her about the situation. The girl seemed to be taking things in stride. She was quiet at first, but had been opening up more this past week. Shelby could tell her daughter was getting excited for today.

Shelby thought back to their very first phone call as mother and daughter.

" _Rachel...hi, baby. How are you doing?" Shelby said, and immediately smacked her palm to her forehead. What kind of question was that? Rachel's world was being turned upside down, how was she supposed to be doing?_

" _F-fine, Ms. Cor—uh, m-ma'am," Rachel stammered. What exactly was she supposed to call this woman? She knew she was her mother, but she hadn't even met her yet. On top of that, she was one of Rachel's biggest idols. Rachel did want to call her "Mom", but…what if the woman didn't want that? Rachel definitely didn't want to make her angry before she even met her. She wanted her mother to love her…she thought her fathers loved her, but come to find out they were giving her up. Just like that. Thinking back over the years, Rachel knew she didn't have the most open or affectionate relationship with either of her dads, and she didn't spend much time with them, but she always thought they loved her and wanted her deep down. Come to find out, they wanted to give her away…to be rid of her. Was it something she did? Was she unlovable? What if the same thing happened with her mother? Then where was Rachel going to go?_

" _Honey, you can call me Mom…or Shelby, if you're more comfortable with that," Shelby said gently._

 _Rachel was silent on the other end. She was a little shocked, honestly. This was a lot to take in and absorb. Shelby wanted her to call her mom? She really didn't mind?_

 _Shelby became uneasy at Rachel's pause. "Rachel, if you aren't ready to call me Mom, you really don't have to. I am completely fine with you calling me Shelby. I want to make this as easy as possible for you, sweetheart," Shelby said, her heart racing inside her chest. She wasn't lying to her daughter; she did want to make this easy on her, but she also knew she really wanted to hear Rachel call her "Mom"._

" _N-no, I…I'm sorry. It's just a…I needed a minute," Rachel stammered, not wanting her mother to think she didn't like her or anything like that. She wanted her approval so much. She wanted her mother to love her. "Mom."_

 _Shelby was sure her heart was going to just stop. Just like that. Tears welled in her eyes and she blinked to clear her vision. "Oh baby…I'm so glad…You can't imagine how much that means to me. I love you, Rachel," she said._

 _Rachel's heart rate was accelerating at an alarming rate. Putting a hand over her chest, she felt it beating rapidly against her palm. This all felt like a dream to her. She was talking with her mother, the one person she wanted to know more than anything else in this world. Her mother, Shelby Corcoran—Shelby Corcoran,_ the Broadway star _—just told her she loved her. Rachel didn't hear those words very often. In fact…she couldn't actually recall the last time her fathers had told her they loved her._

" _You…you love me after only…we've never even met," Rachel stammered, her brain trying hard to comprehend. "Well, I guess we_ did _meet, once…but I don't remember it. And you…I was just a baby and I was told by my dads you didn't even get to hold me. And you—"_

" _Rachel, hey! Slow down, kiddo," said Shelby, cutting off Rachel's anxious rambling. "Of course I love you. I've loved you since the moment I found out I was pregnant with you. I fell in love all over again when I heard your heartbeat for the first time…when you kicked inside of me. And I thought my heart would literally burst when the doctor held you up so I could see you."_

" _R-really?" Rachel asked, tears running down her cheeks._

" _Really, baby. I love you," Shelby said with such conviction that Rachel couldn't help but believe her._

" _I-I love you too, Mom," Rachel cried._

"Shelby, we're here," Jackie, her publicist, said, jarring Shelby from her thoughts. Shelby looked out the window at the large, dreary office building. It was a large, brick red building with small windows and a large revolving door. Shelby hated revolving doors. She took a deep breath and opened the car door, stepping out onto the sidewalk and the flashing of cameras. Police officers had blocked off the road and entranceway to the building, but paparazzi and news people still littered the streets, pressed up against the barricades and screaming for Shelby.

"Shelby, what's it feel like to be meeting your daughter for the first time after fourteen years?"

"Shelby, how is your daughter going to affect your career? Are you worried you won't have enough time for both?"

"Shelby, are you—"

One man had managed to break away from the pack and was running towards Shelby with his microphone outstretched, his cameraman close behind him.

"Ms. Corcoran, tell us, what's it like to have your world turned upside down for a daughter you don't even know?"

"Back off, NOW!" bellowed Tom, one of Shelby's bodyguards. He towered over the newscaster and flexed his bulging muscles menacingly. The newscaster started puffing up his own chest and was about to take another step when he was seized from behind by a Lima police officer.

"Come on, let's get you inside before any of these other crazies get loose," Tom said to Shelby, winking at her. He put his hand around Shelby's shoulder and led her towards the door, shielding her as much as possible from the flashing of the cameras with his own body.

They entered a large lobby with marble floors and tall, white pillars. A security guard was stationed at his desk, and he smiled warmly at them when Shelby and her troop gathered around it. "Good afternoon, Ms. Corcoran," he said, "Mr. Sawyer is expecting you. His office is on the third floor, suite 305…"

Shelby stopped listening to the man; she was too focused on what was about to happen. She could feel her blood pounding in her ears and her mouth became dry. She was about to see Rachel. She was so excited, but terrified at the same time. She had been dreaming of this moment ever since Rachel was born, but now that it was upon her, she wasn't sure she was ready. But if there was one thing being on Broadway had taught her, it was that the show must go on. So, Shelby took a deep, steadying breath and allowed Tom to steer her towards the elevators and what waited beyond.

Rachel paced around the conference room, stopping every few seconds to look out the window to see if a car was pulling up. She'd huff each time the street remained empty (except for the large crowd that was gathering, that is) and resume her circles. Her mind raced, and she was anxiously excited. She had just spoken to her mother the night before…they talked for nearly two hours, in fact.

" _Mommy…are you…are you sure about this?" Rachel asked, her fears getting the better of her. They had been talking of things they would do once they were together, movies they liked, food, tv shows…pretty much everything under the sun. The conversation was light and carefree, but Rachel just couldn't keep that question inside anymore. She had to know, before things got too out of control for her. She had to know that her mother was sure._

" _I've never been more sure of anything, sweetheart," Shelby immediately replied, hearing the worry in her daughter's voice. Her heart broke; her daughter sounded so young, especially when she called her "mommy". That was a new development, and every time Rachel said it, Shelby wanted to turn to mush._

" _But what if…what if you don't like me?" Rachel whispered._

" _I love you, Rach. Nothing will ever change that. I promise."_

" _But—"_

" _Rachel, sweetheart, calm down. I promise everything will be all right. Are you in bed? I can sing for you, if you'd like?" Shelby said, wanting to soothe her daughter as best as she could from over four hundred miles away. She heard Rachel sniff on the other end._

" _I…I'd like that," said Rachel as she snuggled down into her bed. She grabbed her stuffed lion from under her covers and held him close to her. She had had the stuffed toy (named Henry) for as long as she could remember. She couldn't sleep without him._

 _Shelby smiled and began to sing._

 _Baby mine, don't you cry_  
 _Baby mine, dry your eyes_  
 _Rest your head close to my heart_  
 _Never to part, baby of mine_

 _Little one, when you play_  
 _Don't you mind what they say_  
 _Let those eyes sparkle and shine_  
 _Never a tear, baby of mine_

 _If they knew sweet little you_  
 _They'd end up loving you too_  
 _All those same people who scold you_  
 _What they'd give_  
 _Just for the right to hold you_

 _From your head down to your toes_  
 _You're not much, goodness knows_  
 _But you're so precious to me_  
 _Sweet as can be, baby of mine_

 _All of those people who scold you_  
 _What they'd give_  
 _Just for the right to hold you_

 _From your head down to your toes_  
 _You're not much, goodness knows_  
 _But you're so precious to me_  
 _Sweet as can be, baby of mine_  
 _Baby of mine_

 _When Shelby finished, she was surprised to feel tears running down her face. She hadn't even realized she was crying._

 _Rachel had tears flowing as well. That was the first time she had ever been sung to. And her mother had been the one to do that for her. Taking a shaky breath, Rachel whispered, "Thank you, Mommy."_

" _Anytime, sweetheart," Shelby said, her own voice thick with tears. "Why don't you try to sleep now? And tomorrow, we'll see each other."_

 _Rachel yawned. She really was exhausted. She didn't want to stop talking to her mother though. "Will you…" she began, but quickly trailed off. She didn't want to annoy her mom with too many demands. Rachel couldn't afford for her to become sick of her already._

" _Will I what, baby?" Shelby questioned, knowing that Rachel needed her comfort. "I'll try my best to do whatever you need, Rach. I want to make you feel better however I can."_

" _Will you…would you mind s-staying on the phone until I fall asleep?" Rachel asked timidly. "You don't have to if you don't want to!" she added quickly._

 _Shelby's heart broke at her daughter's request. She could hear the fear and uncertainty in her voice._ Damn those Berry men _, Shelby thought to herself. She wished she had gotten Rachel sooner…hell, she wished she had never given her daughter to those men in the first place._

" _Of course I'll stay on the phone with you until you fall asleep. I'm more than happy to," she said gently. "Close your eyes, baby. Try to relax, okay?"_

"Rachel, come sit down," Hiram said after twenty minutes of constant pacing.

"She should be here soon," Rachel said to herself, ignoring her father's request. She went to look out the window once more and her heart almost stopped. A black car was pulling up and a large man got out first, followed by a woman…her mother!

Rachel watched as the paparazzi started waving frantically and snapping photos. She wondered if they would do that to her soon as well. So far, they had been leaving her alone. She then watched as a man ran close to her mother, waving his microphone in her face. Rachel couldn't help but laugh; the man looked like a cartoon character the way he was acting! Rachel kept looking out the window, even after her mother and the people with her moved towards the building and out of Rachel's line of sight. Her heart beat fast in her chest as she spun around and waited excitedly for the door to open.

Shelby followed the receptionist to the conference room where her lawyer, the Berry men and their lawyer, and her Rachel waited for her. She felt like her heart was going to beat right out of her chest as she neared the door. Five feet, three feet, one…the door was opening…and Shelby's eyes immediately found Rachel's.

Before anyone could do or say anything, Shelby was at Rachel's side, pulling the girl in close for a hug. It was the first time she had ever held her daughter, and she wanted it to be the very first thing she did when she saw her.

"Oh Rachel baby, I love you," she whispered, tears falling from her eyes in tiny rivers. Shelby put her face close to Rachel's hair and inhaled the strawberry scent.

"Hi, Mom," Rachel breathed into her mother's neck. Her mom smelled like vanilla and coconut, and Rachel found herself breathing in deeply, trying to ingrain the scent into her memory forever.

"Ahem…Ms. Corcoran, I don't mean to break up this reunion…however, there are matters at hand," Mr. Sawyer said after several more minutes.

Shelby reluctantly pulled away from Rachel, but held her hand out for her to hold as she walked around the table to face Hiram and LeRoy. Jackie was already sitting down next to Paul Ryan, Shelby's lawyer, so Shelby sat on Paul's right. Rachel took the empty seat next to her mother, their hands still tightly clasped.

"Well, let's get started then, shall we?" Paul said, pulling his papers out of his briefcase and laying them out on the table.

"Right. Well, Mr. and Mr. Berry have already signed the papers for termination of parental rights, and I have the papers that will reinstate Ms. Corcoran's parental rights here," Mr. Sawyer replied, sliding Shelby her paperwork.

"Mr. and Mr. Berry, you understand that by signing away your rights, you are giving full custody to Ms. Corcoran, correct? Neither of you will have any say about what goes on with Rachel from this point on, and Ms. Corcoran is not obligated to allow you to see Rachel. Do you have any questions?" Paul said.

"We understand," Hiram said, and LeRoy nodded his agreement.

Rachel sat quietly and listened as her whole world was falling apart. She was thrilled to be with her mother, but she was going to miss her fathers…even if she knew they weren't what she needed. She had grown up with these men, and they were really all she knew. Rachel sniffled and quickly wiped her nose.

Shelby felt Rachel stiffen slightly as the proceedings went on, and began to rub small circles on the girl's back. She knew this had to be hard for her daughter; she couldn't even begin to imagine what she was feeling. But Shelby would be here every step of the way for her, through the ups and downs, the tears and the laughter. She would make sure Rachel was happy with her and knew she was loved, if it was the last thing she did.

"You also understand that given Ms. Corcoran's circumstances, her and Rachel's lives may be…chaotic for a while? We ask that you please not speak to the press about Rachel, Ms. Corcoran, or anything else pertaining to this case," Paul continued.

"Of course. We want to give Rachel her best chance at a happy life…Hiram and I both firmly believe that is with Shelby. We won't do anything to jeopardize Rachel's well being and happiness," LeRoy said, turning his eyes to Rachel. He loved Rachel…not the way she deserved…but he loved her as much as he could. And because he and Hiram loved her, they were giving her to Shelby. But how was he supposed to even start to explain that to the girl? Maybe he wouldn't have to…maybe the act of giving her to her mother so she could be happy would be enough for Rachel to understand this is what's best.

"Alright…well, if neither of you have anymore questions, the only thing left is some paperwork to legally change Rachel's surname to Corcoran," said Paul, pulling the correct papers out of his pile and setting them in front of Shelby. "Rachel, you are old enough to have a bit of say in this matter. Before your mother signs the papers, would you like to say anything regarding it? You can still keep the name Berry if you'd prefer."

Rachel looked over at the two men who had raised her and her heart broke. They both looked sad, but neither of them were really looking at her. Then she looked into her mother's eyes. She could tell just from her eyes that her mother loved her. Taking a deep breath, Rachel looked at Paul and said, "I want to be a Corcoran."

Shelby couldn't help but tear up at hearing her daughter say she wanted to take her last name. Part of Shelby had been afraid that maybe Rachel would want to keep her fathers' last name. Squeezing her daughter's shoulder reassuringly, Shelby pulled the paper towards her and quickly signed it, making it official. She then smiled at Rachel and leaned in to give her a quick peck on the cheek.

"Well, that's everything on my end. Mr. Sawyer?" Paul said, looking to the attorney sitting across from him.

"No, that's it. Everything is cut and dry," Mr. Sawyer replied, taking the copies of Shelby's signed papers from Paul.

Paul shook hands with the Berry men and Mr. Sawyer and then turned to Shelby. "It was a pleasure seeing you, Shelby. Rachel, it was nice to meet you. I wish you both much happiness in the future. Shelby, you have my number if anything arises," he said.

"Say hello to Helen for me, Paul. And the kids as well," Shelby said, hugging the man before turning to the others in the room.

Rachel stood close to her mother, unsure of what she should do. She wasn't sure what to say to her fathers really…what do you say in this situation? Have a nice life? She wasn't even sure if she would ever see them again. At that thought, Rachel felt the first tears make their way down her cheeks.

Hiram and LeRoy glanced over at Rachel and noticed her tears. LeRoy took hold of Hiram's hand and led him over to the small girl. "Rachel…be good," LeRoy said. He had wanted to tell her he loved her, but it hadn't come out. He reached out and pulled Rachel into a hug, and Hiram quickly joined in. It didn't last long, and a few minutes later, both men were making their departure. Rachel stared off after them.

Now Shelby and Rachel were the only ones left in the room. Jackie had gone downstairs to offer a statement to the press to help quell some of the frenzy before mother and daughter entered the fray, and Shelby's bodyguards were waiting outside the now closed door. They had all figured mother and daughter needed a few minutes alone.

Shelby held Rachel close as the girl cried quietly. "Everything is going to be okay Rachel, I promise," she said, planting kiss after kiss on Rachel's head. Shelby wished she could take away all of her baby's hurt with just a hug. "Mommy's here, baby."

Everything would turn out okay. Shelby would make sure of it.

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 **Author's Note: The song Shelby sang to Rachel is called "Baby Mine" from Disney's Dumbo, but this particular version is by Alison Krauss (it's a bit longer than the original). I encourage you to look it up on YouTube, it's a beautiful song.**


	2. New Beginnings

**Not much has changed in this chapter. What has changed, I hope you enjoy.**

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 **Chapter Two: New Beginnings**

Rachel sat on one of two plush queen-sized beds in the hotel room, flipping through the onDemand movies on the TV while Shelby was in the shower. Rachel felt like it was midnight, but it was only a little after five thirty in the afternoon. The day had been long and her emotions were all over the place. She had cried for a good fifteen minutes in the conference room at Mr. Sawyer's office, and then had to face the screaming paparazzi for the first time since this whole thing happened. It wasn't what she was expecting. It wasn't glamorous or exciting; no, it was terrifying. All Rachel wanted to do was bury her head in her mother's shoulder and hide from all of the prying eyes. Luckily, her mother's bodyguards Tom and Josh were fully prepared for the onslaught and got mother and daughter safely into the car within minutes. Then she had cried some more once they got to their suite. Her mother had cuddled with her until Rachel fell asleep. She had woken up thirty minutes ago just as her mom was getting ready to shower and had been told she'd be next.

"Alright little girl, your turn," Shelby said, plopping down on the bed next to Rachel and patting the girl's leg.

"I was trying to find something for us to watch," said Rachel, curling herself up next to her mother and breathing in the coconut scent from her shampoo.

"You can do that again after you shower. And I'll order some room service for us," Shelby said, kissing Rachel's forehead. This was the happiest she had ever felt, and she never wanted this feeling to end.

"Will you order us a white pizza? And french-fries?" Rachel asked, snuggling closer. She smiled when Shelby began running her fingers through Rachel's hair. It was such a simple gesture, but it meant the world to Rachel. It was comforting for her.

"I sure will. Now you really need to go shower," Shelby said, sitting up and helping Rachel up as well. She propelled Rachel towards the bathroom with a soft pat to her bottom.

Rachel couldn't help but smile as she walked off to go take a shower. It felt like she had been living with her mother her whole life. They fit each other so well.

Shelby watched her daughter flit off to the bathroom with a smile on her face. Her heart was almost overflowing with love for her baby girl. And she was finally hers. It was a dream come true…Shelby just hoped she never woke from it.

Mother and daughter sat on the bed, laughing hysterically at a _Friends_ episode, their dinner plates long forgotten at the small dining table. "Mom?" said Rachel when the episode and their laughter had ended.

Shelby's heart fluttered. It happened every time Rachel called her "mom" or "mommy". She knew for a fact she would never get tired of hearing her baby say it. "Hmm?"

"What happens now?" Rachel asked.

So far, her mother had only ever talked about signing the papers and coming to get her. They hadn't gone into further details. Rachel couldn't handle it at the time. But now that the papers were signed and Rachel was officially Shelby's, she wanted to know what was going to happen. Would she have to move away from Lima? It wouldn't be that big of a deal, would it? It's not like Rachel had any friends here. She was in clubs at school, but she was picked on mercilessly every single day. It was pure hell. But Lima was the only thing Rachel had ever known. On the other hand…her mother lived in New York. It was Rachel's dream to make it on Broadway…perhaps she could make that dream come true sooner than she originally planned.

"Well…I guess we'll figure things out together. I need to take you back to New York with me for a week or two, but I want us to look at a few houses here before we leave. I've already picked a few out, but I want your opinion," Shelby said.

"We're…you're moving here?" Rachel asked, blinking quickly a few times.

"Of course we are, silly! This is your home. I want to make things as easy on you as possible, and I don't think uprooting you and moving you to New York is the best option," said Shelby, smiling.

"But what about Broadway? And your career?" Rachel asked, her brow furrowing.

"Oh baby," Shelby said, pulling Rachel onto her lap, "Broadway will go on without me. Nothing is more important than you."

Rachel bit her lip and thought about what her mom was telling her. Her fathers had never told her that. They were both workaholics. She knew their jobs were important to them. They never neglected Rachel or left her alone, but they would rather talk to each other about their jobs than talk to Rachel about her interests. Or, they'd try talking to Rachel about their days, but Rachel wasn't any more interested in their day than they were hers.

"No one's ever…ever told me that before," Rachel said so softly that Shelby had to lean in close to hear her.

Shelby's heart almost broke. She wanted to take away all of Rachel's pain. She was so grateful that she had her child with her now. She would spend the rest of her life making sure Rachel was happy.

"I love you, Rachel. So much. I would do anything for you, you know that?" Shelby said, kissing Rachel's head and holding her close to her. She rocked back and forth slightly and began to hum softly.

"I love you too, Mom," Rachel said, curled up protectively in her mom's arms. It was the best feeling in the world, if you asked her. "Will you sing to me?"

 **Open Arms * Open Arms * Open Arms**

Shelby sat gently next to Rachel, not wanting to wake her just yet. She looked so young when she was sleeping. Shelby just wanted to watch her for a bit. They didn't need to rush today anyway.

Shelby had sung to Rachel last night and the girl was asleep by nine o'clock. It had been a long, emotional day for both mother and daughter. Shelby gently laid Rachel in bed and crawled in besides her. There were two beds in the suite, but Shelby didn't want to leave Rachel's side. She had spent fourteen years apart from her child; she didn't want to spend another minute away from her.

Gently stroking Rachel's cheek, Shelby began to sing softly.

 _Suddenly you're here  
Suddenly it starts  
Can two anxious hearts  
Beat as one?  
Yesterday I was alone  
Today you are beside me  
Something still unclear  
Something not yet here  
Has begun_

 _Suddenly the world  
Seems a different place  
Somehow full of grace  
Full of light_

 _How was I to know that so much hope  
Was held inside me?  
What has past is gone  
Now we journey on  
Through the night_

 _How was I to know at last  
That happiness could come so fast?  
Trusting me the way you do  
I'm so afraid of failing you  
Just a child who cannot know  
That danger follows where I go  
There are shadows everywhere  
And memories I cannot share_

 _Nevermore alone  
Nevermore apart  
You have warmed my heart  
Like the sun_

 _You have brought the gift of life  
And love so long denied me  
Suddenly I see  
What I could not see  
Something suddenly has begun_

Rachel stirred, hearing her mother's beautiful voice singing to her. She nuzzled into the hand stroking her cheek and yawned, her eyes fluttering open.

"Good morning, sweetheart. I didn't mean to wake you," Shelby said, kissing her daughter's forehead. She brushed a lock of hair that had fallen over Rachel's face behind her ear. "Did you sleep well?"

"Mmmhmmm," Rachel hummed, stretching. "What time is it?"

"Just a little after nine-thirty. Do you want to shower?"

Rachel gasped as she sat up. "I'm normally up by seven at the latest," she said, throwing the covers off of herself.

"Whoa, slow down! Where's the fire?" Shelby quipped. She was going to have to try to break Rachel of her early rising it seemed. "There's no need to rush, sweetie. We are going to have lunch with the family, but not until noon. We don't need to leave here until quarter to eleven. So relax."

"F-family?" Rachel stammered. "Are they…what if…I…"

"Are you…do you not want to meet them today? They're all so excited to see you, and I wanted it to be a surprise for you today, but I didn't—Rachel, I'm sorry, I didn't think that it would scare you," Shelby said, her heat beating fast. She truly didn't think Rachel would have a problem meeting her family; the girl had taken to her so fast, it was like they had been together her whole life. But maybe she should tell her family to hold off for a while, give Rachel more time.

"No…I…I was just…shocked, for a minute. It's fine," Rachel stammered. She wasn't sure she was ready to meet Shelby's family… _her_ family. But she could see it meant a great deal to her mother. And she did want to jump in and be a part of Shelby's life right away. And that meant meeting the family, didn't it? Only…what if they didn't like Rachel? Would her mother still keep her? Or would she send her away? Where would Rachel go then?

"Rachel, sweetie, you can say no if you really aren't ready. I won't be upset and everyone will understand. I love you, and they love you. But we can wait until you're ready," Shelby said, adjusting herself so she was propped against the headboard. She then pulled Rachel to her side and the girl immediately cuddled into her side.

"I…I want to meet them…it's just…Mom?" Rachel faltered, unsure of how to tell her mother her fears. She looked into her mom's eyes, feeling tears beginning to well in her own.

"What, baby? Talk to me, tell me what you're thinking," said Shelby, cupping Rachel's face between her hands and brushing a tear away with her thumb.

"What if they don't…like me?" Rachel said quietly, casting her eyes down. She sniffed and wiped at her eyes quickly.

"They will _love_ you, baby. They already love you. It's impossible not to," Shelby said, holding her child close. She rubbed Rachel's back and rocked them both gently. "If you want to meet them today, we can. If you'd rather wait and spend some more time with just me, we can do that too."

"Would…where would we be having lunch with them?" Rachel asked.

"At your Nana and PopPop's. They don't live too far from here. It'll take us about forty minutes to get there. I have the car service coming to pick us up. But sweetie, I really can cancel it all if you want me to," Shelby said.

"N-no, I want to go," said Rachel.

"Are you sure? Rachel, look at me," said Shelby, hooking her finger under Rachel's chin and forcing her to look up. "I don't want you saying yes just to please me. I promise I won't be mad if you want it to be us for a bit."

"I'm sure. I promise, Mom," Rachel replied, earning a kiss from Shelby. She held onto her mother and soaked up the attention. She never got this many hugs and cuddles from her fathers, ever. She could really get used to this.

 **Open Arms * Open Arms * Open Arms**

Shelby looked over at her daughter for the one-thousandth time since they got in the car thirty minutes ago. Rachel kept reassuring her mother that she was positive she wanted to go through with meeting the family today, but Shelby now had reservations. Last night she had been so excited to surprise Rachel with the news that she'd be meeting her family, but now, after Rachel told her her fears, Shelby just wasn't sure. She knew her parents, brothers and sisters, and nieces and nephews would love Rachel—there was no doubt in her mind about that—but after everything Rachel had been through this past month, she just wanted to make sure not to upset Rachel anymore than she already was. Shelby knew her girl was confused and hurting—all the crying she had done in the past two days was proof of that. But Rachel was also thriving under all the love Shelby was giving her. She knew the rest of the family would do the same.

"Mom?"

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"Will you tell me about my cousins again?" Rachel asked.

Her mom had already told her the names of all _seven_ of her cousins—it was a lot for Rachel, who didn't have any cousins on either of her fathers' sides. There was JJ—he was Rachel's oldest cousin at seventeen. Lexi, his sister, was a few months older than Rachel. Then there was Haley who had just turned sixteen. Rachel also had four younger cousins: Michael, Luke, and identical twins Robbie and Tyler, (twelve, ten, and seven, respectively).

"Do you think JJ, Lexi, and Haley will like me?"

"The four of you will be best of friends, baby," Shelby replied, rubbing Rachel's knee.

"I don't really have many friends," said Rachel softly. _Or any_ , she added ruefully to herself.

"Don't worry, Rach. You guys will hit it off, I promise," Shelby said.

"How do you know?" Rachel asked, unsure.

"Mother's intuition, dear," said Shelby, tapping her temple and winking at her daughter.

Before Rachel knew it, the car was pulling into a long driveway with a two-car garage at the end. A basketball hoop was attached to the roof, and it looked like all of Rachel's cousins were shooting hoops. The oldest boy, who Rachel knew was JJ, picked up a small boy cousin so the boy could dunk the basketball. The boy squealed in delight and JJ swung the boy around twice before setting him back on his feet and ruffling his hair. A few adults were milling around in the backyard, laughing and talking. They all stopped when the car pulled up. Rachel could feel her heart beginning to beat rapidly as her mother opened the door and climbed out. A moment later her own door was opened and Shelby offered her her hand.

"Come on, sweetie. It'll be okay," Shelby said comfortingly, pulling Rachel out of the car and into her arms for a quick hug. When she released the girl, she wasn't surprised that her family had gathered around, whispering excitedly.

Shelby's older brother Ben helped the driver get the suitcases out of the trunk and passed them off to oldest brother John Jr., or Jack as he liked to be called, and John Sr. "Hey everyone," Shelby greeted, hugging her mother Diane before turning to her older sister.

"Everyone, this is my Rachel," Shelby beamed, putting a comforting hand on Rachel's shoulder. She squeezed gently and moved her daughter so she was standing in front of her. "Rachel, this is your family."

Rachel was a bit overwhelmed at everyone gathered around her and her mother, but they were all smiling warmly at her and looked nice enough. She tried to listen to everyone's names as she was being passed from adult to adult, hugs and kisses given freely.

Being introduced to the cousins didn't involved nearly as many hugs, but was still overwhelming, mainly because Rachel wanted them to like her from the start. She wasn't exactly good at making friends, especially with those her age. She was hoping since they were her cousins, it would be easier to make them like her…but she wasn't sure at all.

The three little boy cousins, Luke, Tyler, and Robbie bounced around Rachel and asked her if she liked trucks, sports, and X-Men. Rachel wasn't a fan of trucks, she knew very little about sports, and X-Men? What was that?

"Aw, you have to watch with us! We have all of them! Cartoons _and_ real movies!" Robbie, one of the seven-year-old twins, said. "We can go watch now, if you want!"

"Robbie, maybe Rachel can watch that with you another time. Today we are having a cook-out, remember?" Diane said, scooping the boy into her arms so he would stop trying to jump into Rachel's. She could tell the girl was overwhelmed, so she wanted to do her best to make her feel at ease. The Corcoran bunch could be a lot to handle, after all.

Rachel smiled shyly at her grandmother, grateful for the bit of help. She thought Robbie was sweet, with his freckled face, wavy brown hair, and big green eyes. He waved back at her when Nana walked towards the house with him, calling after the two other little boys for them to follow.

"Well let's not stand around here all day! Jack, Ben, would you mind taking the girls' suitcases to the guest rooms? Your mother will tell you where to put them," John told his two boys.

"Sure, Pop," Jack replied, shoving his brother playfully as they both went to reach for the same suitcase. "Get your own. I've got this one."

"Kids, go wash up; your grandmother will get her slipper if she sees any of you trying to eat with those dirty hands!" John told the children, laughing as they all groaned good-naturally.

Rachel watched as most of her family went off towards the house, leaving her, her mother, and her aunt standing there alone.

"Rachel, it's so good to finally meet you, sweetheart. Your mom has been so excited since she found out she was getting custody of you. She hasn't shut up…Granted, she hardly _ever_ shuts up—"

"Lauren!" Shelby scolded, shoving her older sister. "Your Aunt LuLu is right about me being excited, but don't listen to anything else she tells you. It's not true!" Shelby said, turning to her daughter and throwing an arm around her shoulders. "Come on, let's go eat! I'm starving!"

Rachel spent lunch laughing and answering any questions thrown at her, but mostly she listened to stories everyone was telling her. Uncle Jack told a story of a time when he and Uncle Ben had been in the basement playing with their BB guns (which they weren't supposed to be playing with in the house) while their parents were out. The boys had set up target practice with some of their army men on some boxes they had found. Everything was going great, until Ben hit the box instead of the army men. They heard breaking and rushed to open the box, only to find their mother's good China inside. They had tried to hide the evidence, but when their mother got home, she knew immediately that something was wrong from their eagerness to help her with anything around the house.

"I mean, really, who keeps their good plates in random boxes in the basement?" Ben asked, giving his mother a look.

"I put them in there because we had to get a new China cabinet, which you and your brother _also_ broke, remember?" Nana replied, glaring at her son.

"I just remember you wagging your slipper at us and not being able to sit for a week!" Jack finished, shivering dramatically. The rest of the family burst into laughter.

Rachel chuckled along with everyone else, but gave her grandmother a nervous glance. This was the third or fourth time someone mentioned her grandmother's slipper. Apparently it was well known among her children and grandchildren. She just hoped she'd never become acquainted with it.

The kids sat around and listened to a few more stories before the younger boys and JJ went off to play basketball again and Nana and Aunt Sarah started clearing the plates from the table.

"Want help, Mom?" Shelby asked to be polite, but secretly hoped her mother turned her down. She hadn't gotten to spend any time with her family recently due to her show schedule. She smiled when her mother just waved her offer aside and told her to stay put.

"Suck up," Jack said, leaning across the table so only his sister could hear him.

"Rachel, would you—um—do you want to go hangout in the house with me and Haley?" Lexi asked a bit nervously. She knew Rachel was her cousin, but this was the first time any of them were meeting her. Rachel actually reminded Lexi a lot of her Aunt Shelby. It was amazing how much she was like her aunt when Shelby didn't raise Rachel. Shelby was Lexi's favorite aunt, so Lexi had a feeling her and Rachel would become close as well.

Rachel looked to her mother for permission. "Go on, sweetie," Shelby said, smiling warmly at her child. Rachel returned it and then got up to follow her two girl cousins into the house.

Haley and Lexi began to give Rachel a tour of the house, but as soon as they hit the living room, Rachel had begged them to stop. It was a long, rectangular room painted a pretty light blue. A dark blue sofa sat in the middle of the room, against the wall where two windows faced out towards the driveway. Two recliners sat to the left of the sofa in the two corners of the far wall with old, battered side tables between them. Handmade doilies sat on each with plain wooden lamps with large cream shades. A battered coffee table sat in front of the sofa, and all the furniture faced the thirty-six inch flat screen TV. On the other side of the room was a rocking chair, and next to that was a beautiful upright piano. It had caught Rachel's attention as soon as they entered the room. It was a rich cherry red wood with beautifully carved rosettes adorning the legs.

Rachel stepped towards the piano slowly. She had always wanted a piano when she was little, but her fathers had told her no. She looked back to her cousins, noticing they were watching her carefully. "Can I…am I allowed to touch it?" she asked.

"Go ahead," Haley said as she shrugged her shoulders, not quite sure what was so special about the piano that had Rachel looking like it was magic or something. The piano was PopPop's; it had been his father's. He played it sometimes at night for everyone. No one else knew how to play it, except Shelby, and she was hardly ever here anymore. PopPop hadn't played in a long time.

Rachel didn't need to be told twice. She quickly went over to sit at the bench and touched the keys lightly. She quickly played the scale to make sure it was in tune. It sounded perfect! She looked back at her cousins and gave them a broad smile.

"You can play?" Lexi asked, awestruck. She had always wanted to learn, but her older brother had made fun of her when they were little for liking the piano. She had never bothered to ask her parents after that.

"I had lessons for a few years," Rachel said, looking back at the piano adoringly.

"Play something for us!" said Lexi excitedly.

Rachel thought for a moment before she began to play. And then she started to sing.

 _On my own  
Pretending he's beside me  
All alone  
I walk with him till morning  
Without him  
I feel his arms around me  
And when I lose my way I close my eyes  
And he has found me_

Rachel was in her element. She loved to sing. Her problems never seemed so big when she was singing. She put everything into it. She let go…she was free.

Lexi's mouth dropped open when she heard her cousin begin to sing. Rachel could even give Aunt Shel a run for her money, and that was saying something! She looked over at Haley and smiled. She could tell the older girl felt the same way she was. It was giving her goose bumps it was so good!

Haley stood in shock for a moment. She hadn't expected Rachel to start singing, but damn the girl was good! Shaking herself, she quickly went to get the rest of her family. They needed to hear this!

 _In the rain the pavement shines like silver  
All the lights are misty in the river  
In the darkness, the trees are full of starlight  
And all I see is him and me forever and forever_

"Hey guys, come quick! You need to see this!" Haley yelled as soon as she was back with the rest of the family. The adults looked at her questioningly.

"Is everything alright, Hale?" Lauren asked her daughter. The girl was flushed and urging them to come with her.

"You have to see…Rachel," Haley panted. "Come on! BOYS!" she called to her cousins.

The family quickly followed Haley into the house and then the living room. They could hear someone playing the piano and singing, but it didn't really hit them until they made their way completely into the living room. Rachel was sitting at the piano, playing a _Les Misérables_ song, and singing beautifully. It was absolutely…stunning.

 _I love him  
But every day I'm learning  
All my life  
I've only been pretending  
Without me  
His world will go on turning  
A world that's full of happiness  
That I have never known_

 _I love him  
I love him  
I love him  
But only on my own_

Rachel finished to a round of applause that she wasn't expecting. She was so engrossed in the music that she hadn't even realized anyone was watching her. She smiled broadly when her entire family stared back at her.

Shelby had tears in her eyes as she listened to her baby singing. She was truly an angel. Her angel. As soon as Rachel stood from the bench, Shelby had her baby in her arms. "I love you, Rach," she whispered into her daughter's hair.

"Love you too, Mom," Rachel whispered back, soaking in her mother's love.

Later that night, after all the cousins and aunts and uncles left, Shelby sat on the edge of the queen-sized bed in Shelby's old bedroom. It had since been converted into a guest bedroom, as had Lauren's old bedroom next door. Rachel was staying in here while Shelby was staying in the other room. It was eleven at night and Shelby was waiting for Rachel to come back from the bathroom so she could tuck her in.

"Hey sweetie," Shelby said when Rachel came back into the room in pajamas. "Did you have fun today?"

"Yeah, it was good," Rachel said as she came over to the bed, grabbing her lion, Henry, from her suitcase on the way. She hadn't slept with him last night because she had fallen asleep to her mother's singing, but normally she never slept without him. He was her security blanket, so to speak. She had had him since she was a baby. He made her feel safe. She crawled into bed and tucked him in her left arm, against her chest so that his mane tickled her chin.

Shelby smiled at her daughter. She looked so much younger when she was sleepy and cuddling with her stuffed animal. "What's his name?" she asked, pulling the covers around Rachel.

"Henry," Rachel said sleepily, pulling him even closer and running her fingers through his mane.

"You know, I bought that for you when I was still pregnant with you. I slept with him for two whole months before you were born so that he would smell like me. I wanted you to have something to remember me by," Shelby said softly.

"Really?" Rachel asked, her eyes wide. Her fathers had never told her that. And she had had Henry so long, she never even thought about where he came from. He was just always there.

"Really," Shelby smiled, leaning down to kiss Rachel's forehead.

"I like how you smell…it's nice," Rachel mumbled, her eyes beginning to flutter.

"Thank you, sweetie. I love you," Shelby said, stroking Rachel's hair.

"You too, Mom," said Rachel, sighing deeply. "Mom?"

"Hmm?"

"He doesn't smell like you anymore," said Rachel, her face scrunching up in a pout. She looked just like a toddler right now. Shelby chuckled softly to herself.

"Hold on, I'll fix that," she said, gently disentangling Henry from Rachel. She went quickly into her room two doors down and grabbed out her perfume bottle. Holding Henry in her right hand, she spritzed him a few times with the vanilla scent.

"Here, sweetheart. Now he smells like me," Shelby said as she joined Rachel again. She tucked Henry back into Rachel's arm and readjusted the covers some, smoothing them over Rachel's body. "Goodnight, baby. I love you," Shelby whispered, kissing Rachel again. The girl had already fallen asleep.

Shelby quietly made her way out the door, shutting it gently. She then went towards her bedroom to get ready for bed herself.

Shelby woke from a dead sleep. She opened her eyes groggily, trying to adjust to the darkness. What time was it? She immediately became alert when she heard her daughter crying out. That is what must have woken her. She jumped out of bed and ran towards her baby.

"Rachel? Rachel? What's wrong?" Shelby asked as soon as she opened the door. As she got closer to the bed, she saw Rachel kicking some. She was clearly having a bad dream. She sat down besides Rachel and gently reached for her shoulder, shaking her gently.

"Wake up, baby. You're having a bad dream."

Rachel woke with a start. She could feel cold sweat running down her face. She sat up quickly and looked around, trying to figure out where she was. Someone touched her and she screamed.

"Shhh! Rachel, it's just me! It's Mommy," Shelby said soothingly, moving so she could wrap her arms around her scared daughter. "Everything is ok. You're safe. Mommy's got you."

"Mom…Mommy, don't let Nana get me!" Rachel cried, burying her face in her mother's shoulder. "She has her slipper. Don't let her get me!"

Shelby knew her daughter was frightened, but she had a hard time not laughing. All the stories they were telling earlier about her mother's dreaded slipper must have made an impression on her girl.

"Shh, Nana isn't going to get you. You're safe," Shelby cooed. Rachel let her mother cuddle her while her crying subsided.

Shelby maneuvered herself so that she was laying propped up against the pillows and Rachel was almost on top of her, her cheek against Shelby's chest. She rubbed Rachel's back all the way to her bottom, patting her gently like you would a baby to get her to settle down.

Rachel calmed down considerably as her mother held her. Her head was resting on her mother's chest so she could hear her mom's heartbeat. The steady beating of her heart coupled with the gentle pats to Rachel's bottom made Rachel feel safe and loved.

"Mom?"

"Yes, baby?"

"Will you stay with me?"

"Of course I will, sweetie. Are you feeling a little better now?" Shelby asked, kissing Rachel's head.

"Mmmhmm," Rachel hummed, sighing contently. Shelby smiled.

"I'm glad, honey. Let's get under the covers now, come on," Shelby said, scooting Rachel over so she could get more comfortable. She then pulled the covers over both of them and handed Rachel her lion. Rachel nestled Henry in her arms and moved closer to her mother. Shelby happily opened her arms and pulled Rachel against her, spooning her. "Let's get some sleep."

"Mom?" Rachel asked a moment later.

"Mmm?" Shelby mumbled, barely awake.

"Would Nana really use her slipper on me?" Rachel asked. She had been worrying about it earlier, and she really needed to know the answer if she hoped to sleep without any more nightmares.

Shelby shook her sleep off yet again so she could answer her daughter. "No, sweetheart. She won't use her slipper on you. She always threatened to use it on us as kids, but it's just a joke," Shelby explained.

"But Uncle Jack said that him and Uncle Ben couldn't sit for a week after Nana's slipper," Rachel said.

"Uncle Jack was exaggerating. Nana spanked him and Uncle Ben for breaking her China. Like I said, sweetie, it's just a joke. There's no need to be afraid," Shelby said, pulling Rachel closer to her.

"But Mom—"

"Hush, Rachel. It's time for bed. No more worrying, ok? We can talk about it tomorrow if you want," Shelby said, reaching down to pat Rachel's bottom. It seemed to calm her earlier, and she needed her to go to sleep so Shelby could go back to sleep as well.

Shelby continued to pat Rachel's bottom until she heard her breathing even out. _Thank God_ , Shelby thought to herself before drifting off herself.


	3. House Hunting

**You should start to see bigger changes happening now. When I began this story, I got quite a few reviews that Rachel was acting too young for her age. I agree with those sentiments for the most part.**

 **Back then, I didn't really have a clue what I was doing. I wrote scenes without thinking about them, without considering the context. And honestly, I wrote a lot of them because I wanted to see them done. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I wanted to convey Rachel's insecurity and uncertainness around Shelby. I went about it the wrong way.**

 **Three years later and some experience with nieces in that age range (got married and promoted from non-existent to aunt of 6 in one day) and I've got a better idea of how a 14 year old acts.**

 **Fair warning, Rachel is still emotional. She's been through a lot already and it only seems fair she be allowed a bit of leeway in terms of her behavior. She's adjusting slowly to Shelby and this new life of theirs. She's going to cry and want lots of attention and comfort from Shelby...I hope it's not as cringe-worthy as before (I even got some second-hand embarrassment from some of these early chapters!).**

* * *

 **Chapter Three: House Hunting**

"Rachel, what are you doing?" Shelby moaned early the next morning. She wasn't sure what time it was, but it felt early. She cracked an eye open and noticed that it was still fairly dark in the room.

Rachel was moving around, trying to extract herself from her mother's arms so she could get up. She was an early riser, and she was ready to start her day. Her mother groaned.

"Rachel, lay back down. It isn't time to get up," Shelby said sleepily, pulling Rachel closer to her and kissing her head. She had to smooth down her daughter's bed head so that her hair didn't get in her face.

"Mom, I'm not tired," Rachel whined, squirming in her mother's grasp. She really wanted to get up. It was six thirty—that was plenty late enough.

"Shhh, it's sleepy-time," Shelby replied, closing her eyes. She refused to let go of her stubborn daughter. How was she not still tired? They had a full day yesterday and then Rachel had woken up around two from a nightmare.

Rachel rolled over onto her stomach, hoping to be able to slide out from under her mother's arm. " _Mom!_ "

"Just lay with me, baby," Shelby all but whined. She just wanted to go back to sleep. What was wrong with her child that she didn't like sleeping in?

"I don't want to," Rachel said through gritted teeth, pushing her mother away and sitting up.

Shelby huffed. She was definitely not a morning person, especially when her sleep was interrupted during the night. She didn't mind having to comfort her daughter after her nightmare—quite the opposite, in fact—but she was not expecting a tantrum from said child at this ungodly hour now.

"Rachel, lay back down," Shelby ordered, now sitting up herself. It was too early for this crap.

Shelby softened slightly at Rachel's timid look she was now giving her. She didn't want to yell at the girl, and she wasn't angry. She was just…a bit cranky. It was too early to be up, and Rachel needed to lie back down for a bit.

"You don't need to sleep if you don't want to, but I want you to lay down with me until at least eight o'clock. That's the earliest any Corcoran in this house will be up and moving. Come on, baby," she said, opening her arms in invitation. She smiled when Rachel scooted back over to her and lay down beside her. Shelby sighed in relief when she returned to her comfy position in bed.

"Just close your eyes and relax. Shhh," Shelby soothed, moving her hand to Rachel's bottom once more to place gentle pats there. She could feel Rachel relax back into the bed and sigh deeply.

Shelby was up and on her first cup of coffee by nine o'clock. Rachel was fast asleep in bed. Shelby herself had gotten up around eight-thirty and shook her head at her little girl. For someone who "wasn't tired", she was sure sleeping soundly now. "Stubborn little girl," Shelby whispered, tucking the blankets around Rachel and kissing her head before heading down the hall to the bathroom.

"Morning, Shelby," John smiled at his daughter when she shuffled into the kitchen, heading straight for the coffee pot. "How'd you sleep?"

"Pretty good, Daddy. Rachel gave me a heart attack late last night when she woke me screaming from a nightmare though," Shelby replied, taking a long sip from her cup before going to sit across from her dad.

"Did she? Funny, your mother and I didn't hear a thing. Was she alright?" John replied, putting his morning paper aside to focus on his daughter.

"She was fine. She had a dream that Mom was chasing her with her slipper. She told me not to let Nana get her," Shelby said, laughing softly.

John chuckled and shook his head at his granddaughter's dream. "That _is_ a nightmare, isn't it?" he joked.

"What's a nightmare?" Diane asked as she entered the room, stopping to plant a kiss to Shelby's head before moving about to begin breakfast for her.

"Rachel had a dream that you were chasing her with your slipper. Then she asked me if you would ever actually take your slipper to her," Shelby said.

"And what did you tell her?" Diane asked, placing her hands on her hips and staring at her daughter intently.

"I told her of course you wouldn't! Calm down, Ma. I tried to explain that it was a joke…it was late. I'm not going to let her be scared of you, don't worry," Shelby said quickly, not liking the look her mother was giving her even at thirty-six years old.

"Well, let her stay a little afraid of me. Nothing wrong with a healthy dose of fear," Diane said, winking at her daughter before opening the fridge to pull out the carton of eggs and gallon of milk.

Rachel squinted her eyes at the morning light streaming in the window. It was definitely much brighter out than it was the last time she woke up. What time was it exactly? She reached a probing hand out behind her, searching for her mother. When she didn't feel her, she quickly rolled over to an empty bed. Sitting up, she looked over at the clock. It was ten-thirty in the morning! She never slept that late!

Grumbling, Rachel pushed the covers off of herself and stood up. Her mother made her get back in bed this morning when she didn't want to. If she weren't forced to lie back down, she wouldn't have slept this late. What was wrong with her mother? The woman seemed to think it was perfectly acceptable to sleep the whole day away! Still grumbling, the girl made her way to the bathroom to shower.

Twenty minutes later, she found her family down in the living room, chatting amiably. They all smiled when she came in. Rachel noticed, much to her irritation, that her mother was smirking at her.

"Not tired, huh Rach?" Shelby asked, raising her eyebrow playfully at her daughter.

"I _wasn't_ tired, and if _you_ weren't such a dictator and had just let me get up when I wanted to, I wouldn't have wasted my whole day!" Rachel yelled, storming out of the room.

Shelby stared off after her daughter as she stomped out of the room, shocked at what just happened. That was the first time Rachel had ever yelled at her, and quite truthfully, Shelby needed a moment to process.

"Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed," John said, shaking his head and chuckling softly.

"John, this isn't funny!" Diane scolded her husband. "Shelby, aren't you going to go after her? She can't speak to you like that, it's unacceptable!"

"I…This is the first time…I don't know what's up with her," Shelby said, flustered. She was still in shock. For the little bit of time that she had known Rachel, the girl was always so sweet and even-tempered. Hiram and LeRoy had warned her that Rachel could be dramatic at times and had mood swings. They said she could be fine one minute and screaming the next. She hadn't believed it until now.

"Takes after her mother," John said, smirking as both his wife and daughter turned to glare at him.

"What? Daddy! I don't know what you're talking about," Shelby said, making a face at her father.

"Please Shelby, you were exactly the same at Rachel's age. We couldn't talk to you for at least an hour after you got up if we didn't want our heads bitten off. She just needs time to wake up," John replied.

"Go find her and tell her to come to the kitchen, Shelby. I'll start her breakfast," Diane said, getting up to begin pancakes. "And talk to her about that attitude!"

"Rach and I are still adjusting to each other," Shelby answered.

"I understand that, but it's still your responsibility to step in and correct her when she gets out of line," Diane said.

"Mom, I haven't even had her for a full forty-eight hours yet! Things have been going so well, I don't want to rock the boat."

"Shelby, Rachel needs to know who's in charge. You're her mother, not her friend. Act like it," Diane said, shaking her finger at her daughter. Shelby watched her mother leave and shook her head at her when her back was turned.

"Don't listen to your mother, Shelbs," John said quietly, turning his head quickly to make sure his wife was nowhere in sight. "You have good instincts when it comes to Rachel. Go talk to her, but I really do think she's just cranky. My bet is she will be back to normal after getting some food in her belly. But remember, how you deal with your daughter is up to _you_. Don't let your mother or me make your decisions for you. Go with your gut, munchkin."

"Thank you, Daddy," Shelby said, smiling at her dad's childhood nickname for her. She was such a daddy's girl.

"Eventually you _will_ have to correct Rachel though. Not saying today, or tomorrow…I'm just saying that parenting comes with both good and bad. At some point, Rachel is going to make mistakes, and you're going to have to discipline her. It might be a good idea to go over some ground rules with her, so you both know what to expect," John continued.

Shelby nodded, going over to kiss her dad's head. "I know, Dad. I'll go find her and talk to her…Tell Mom we'll be down after our chat."

Shelby found Rachel in the guest room, sitting on the bed with Henry clutched in her hands. "Hey baby, let's talk," Shelby said as she stepped into the room, closing the door softly behind her. Rachel looked up at her with a defiant glare that took Shelby by surprise.

"I don't want to talk," Rachel mumbled, playing with Henry's mane.

"Where's the attitude coming from?" Shelby asked as she crossed the room and sat on the bed next to her petulant child.

"I don't _have_ an attitude," Rachel retorted.

"Rachel, talk to me. Tell me what's going on in that head of yours," Shelby pleaded. Rachel was like a completely different person right now. Where was her sweet girl who took every opportunity to cuddle and be as close to Shelby as humanly possible?

"There's nothing to talk about! Why can't you just leave it alone?" Rachel said angrily, trying not to yell. She wasn't exactly sure what was wrong. She was angry with her mom for making her get back in bed when she wanted to get up. Why couldn't she make just one decision for herself? She hadn't been able to make any decisions since finding out her fathers were giving her away. Yes, Rachel loved her mother and was happy, but…everything just happened so quickly. And Rachel still couldn't figure out why her fathers didn't want her. They said they loved her, but you don't give up on someone you love.

"Because clearly something is bothering you or you wouldn't be screaming at me. I'm trying to help here, Rach. I can't do that if you won't tell me what's wrong," Shelby said, reaching over to run her thumb over Rachel's hand. Why couldn't Rachel just talk to her and tell her what was wrong?

"Nothing is wrong, Mom!" Rachel yelled, rising from the bed. She was planning on doing one of her infamous storm outs, but her mother caught her around the middle before she even made it two steps.

"Sit your butt back down. You will not walk away from me when I'm having a conversation with you," Shelby said, her voice stern. She surprised even herself in that moment. _Oh God, I'm starting to sound like my mother!_ Shelby thought. But seeing the stunned look on Rachel's face made Shelby stick to her guns.

Shelby's stern words sliced through Rachel's defenses like a sword, and Rachel stared at her mother in shock for a moment before bursting into tears. The complete three-sixty took Shelby by surprise, but she quickly scooped Rachel into her arms and leaned back against the headboard.

"Tell me what's wrong baby, _please_ ," Shelby pleaded, feeling tears prickle at her own eyes. Rachel was lying almost completely on top of her, with her head tucked in Shelby's neck, her tears making their way down to Shelby's collar.

"I-I-I'm sorry I yelled at you! Are you g-gonna send me b-b-back now?" Rachel cried. She tried to breathe in the sweet smell of her mom while choking back sobs. This could be the last time she got to be this close to the woman. She needed to ingrain her mother's scent into her memory now before it was too late.

"What? No, of course not, Rach! Why would I send you anywhere?" Shelby asked, wrapping her arms around her baby in an attempt to make her feel safe.

"I h-haven't even been with you long and I'm already s-screwing up!" Rachel wailed.

"Hey now, you are _not_ screwing up!" Shelby assured, running a hand through Rachel's hair.

"I am! I screw everything up! F-first my dads, and now y-you're gonna leave me! I-I'm unlovable!"

"Now you listen here, little girl," Shelby said firmly. "You aren't screwing anything up, I'm not going to leave you, and you are the furthest thing from unlovable there is!"

"But Mom—"

"No buts, Rachel. There isn't anything you could do or say that will ever make me stop loving you. You are my daughter, my flesh and blood. Yes, I gave you up when you were a baby, but I thought I was giving you to a good family. Turns out your fathers weren't able to provide for you in all of the ways you needed, and they did what was right for you by finding me. Your fathers are good men, Rach…they just…they realized they aren't parent material. I wish they had realized that when you were still a baby, but I have you now and I'm _never_ letting you go," Shelby said.

Shelby held Rachel close and let the girl cry herself out. This whole situation was painful, but Shelby knew good was going to come out of it. She also knew that it was going to be a bit of a bumpy road ahead for the pair for a while—at least until they adjusted to one another and their new life together.

After another ten minutes, Rachel's crying was under control save for a few hiccups. Shelby had been alternating between rubbing her daughter's back and humming softly in her ear.

"Mom?" Rachel said quietly while scooting off of her mother and sitting up. She wiped at her eyes and nose with the back of her hand.

"Yes, baby?" Shelby replied, quickly sitting up and reaching for the box of tissues on the bedside table. She pulled one out and went to work cleaning Rachel's face from tears and snot.

"I really am sorry for yelling at you," said Rachel, letting her mom clean her up without any fuss. She knew she was more than capable of doing that herself, but it felt good to have her mom take care of her.

"It's all in the past, my love," Shelby smiled, handing Rachel a third tissue after using the first two to successfully remove all remnants of Rachel's crying from her face. "Blow," she ordered when Rachel took the tissue and began balling it in her fist.

Rachel rolled her eyes but did as she was told, handing her mother the used tissue when she was done so the woman could throw it away in the waste basket next to the side table. She was attempting to crawl over her mother to stand up when her mom pulled her back into a sitting position besides her.

"Rach, before we go back downstairs, I want to go over a few things with you," Shelby said.

"Like what?" asked Rachel, reaching for Henry. She brought his face close to hers and breathed in her mother's perfume.

"Like what I expect from you," said Shelby, watching as Rachel's face sunk. "No, it's nothing bad. I just want to go over my rules with you so we're both on the same page. We're going to have to talk about it eventually, and now is as good a time as any."

Rachel sighed and looked at her mother expectantly. She supposed this conversation was going to happen sooner or later, but she had been hoping for later…or never.

Shelby let out a sigh of her own before jumping in. She had been thinking about this conversation for a few weeks now, ever since she found out she was going to be raising Rachel. Shelby thought it was important to really think about the sort of parent she wanted to be and figure out what her rules should be. She had grown up with strict but understanding parents. Shelby had always known where the boundaries were and what would happen if she crossed them. She wanted to raise Rachel in much the same way.

"Ok Rach, first off, there are some things that I just won't tolerate. Lying, cheating, and stealing are high on that list, as are deliberate disobedience or doing anything dangerous. Any of those things will earn you a spanking, every time," Shelby said, sounding much more certain than she felt at the moment.

"Mom? Spanking? Really?" Rachel asked, incredulous. "I'm too old!"

"You won't be spanked for everything, Rach, just the major stuff. Everything else will result in privileges taken away, grounding, that sort of thing. I'm not going over the rules to scare you, baby. You need to know what I expect from you and I think it's fair for you to know the consequences you'll face if you break a rule," Shelby said gently.

"Okay," Rachel nodded. She didn't like the idea of facing a spanking, but now that she knew what would earn her one, maybe she could steer clear of doing those things.

"Good girl. Other than that, I expect you to make your bed in the mornings, keep your room clean, do your chores, get good grades in school—the normal stuff," Shelby said.

Rachel nodded again. Those were normal rules, and she could handle them without any trouble.

"Rach, I want you to know that you can always come to me with anything, even if you think I won't like it. I'm your mother. It's my job to take care of you and help you learn and grow. Sometimes I'm going to have to punish you, but I want you to know that I will love you no matter what," Shelby said, pulling her daughter over to her for a hug.

"Let's go get you some breakfast, what do you say? Nana was making pancakes," Shelby said, standing up and pulling Rachel up with her.

 **Open Arms * Open Arms * Open Arms**

The next few days went by in a blur for Shelby. Lauren was a real estate agent, so she was taking Shelby and Rachel to what felt like every house up for sale in Ohio. Rachel had vetoed the three houses Shelby had originally chosen to look at, and even Shelby had to admit that she wasn't thrilled with any of those houses once she saw them in person. Rachel had also hated every other house Lauren had shown them. One was too small, the other too big. Another had creaky floors and one was deemed "creepy". To top it all off, the paparazzi were again following Shelby everywhere. By Thursday, Shelby was ready to scream and pull her hair out.

"Mom, I'm tired of looking at houses!" Rachel whined Thursday morning as she and Shelby waited for Lauren to arrive.

"So am I, sweetie. We need to find a house though, and the quicker the better! We leave for New York tomorrow night. Aunt LuLu has four more houses to look at today, and we're going to pick one of them," Shelby replied.

"But what if I don't like them?" Rachel asked.

"Well then, I'll choose for us," Shelby said, sighing. Rachel had been arguing over houses with her all week, and quite frankly, Shelby was getting sick of it.

"But that's not fair!" Rachel moaned, her voice going up an octave. She wasn't yelling—she had been scolded numerous times this week already and Shelby had told her if she yelled once more, she would be punished. Rachel didn't want to chance it.

"Rachel," Shelby warned, giving her daughter a stern glance. She wasn't up for any more of Rachel's screaming. The girl could reach levels that Shelby didn't even know were possible. "It's more than fair. We've looked at twenty houses or more this week. The ones today are the last, and we're choosing one."

"But Mom—"

"End of discussion, Rachel. Stop it now," Shelby said, sitting down on the living room sofa and motioning for Rachel to come to her.

Rachel eyed her mom suspiciously. Her mother raised her left eyebrow, and Rachel begrudgingly went to her—that eyebrow was scary.

Shelby sighed and quickly pulled the girl onto her lap. She wrapped her arms around her girl and kissed her forehead. "I love you, Rach. Let's not argue over this," she said, rocking the two of them gently. She felt Rachel relax into her and Shelby enjoyed the quiet moment cuddling with her daughter.

"Shelby! Rach! I'm here!" Lauren called out, appearing in the doorway a moment later. "And I brought a stow-away!" she added, pointing to Lexi.

Rachel smiled and jumped out of her mother's arms, running over to her cousin. Out of all of her cousins, Rachel was becoming closest with Lexi. When first meeting her, Rachel was a little timid because Lexi looked like all of the popular girls at school that picked on her—she had long, dirty-blonde hair and blue eyes, and was absolutely beautiful. Plus, she was on the cheerleading team at Carmel. But Lexi was also into the arts—theatre, singing, and painting. She wasn't your typical blonde cheerleader by any means, and for that, Rachel was grateful.

"I thought Rachel could use a distraction," Lauren whispered to her little sister as she took a seat next to her. "Hopefully having Lexi along will calm little Miss Opinionated down and we can settle on a house already!"

"You are _amazing_ ," Shelby whispered back, smiling broadly.

"I know," Lauren quipped, wagging her eyebrows at her sister.

Shelby looked over at the two teenagers giggly and talking quietly. She was glad Rachel was getting along so well with her cousin; Rachel deserved that.

"Alright girls, let's get on the road. Those houses won't show themselves!" Lauren said as she stood and held her hand out to pull Shelby up.

 **Open Arms * Open Arms * Open Arms**

"Mom, I love it!" Rachel said, bouncing up and down in the living room of house number four.

It was music to Shelby's ears. The previous three houses Rachel had torn to shreds. The rooms were too small, the carpet was ugly, the windows were old—the list went on and on. Shelby didn't even pay attention anymore. The houses were all fine…but even Shelby didn't feel like any of them were the right fit for her and Rachel. Not until they pulled up to 2218 Sycamore Lane.

It was a beautiful butter yellow Cape May Victorian with a large wrap-around porch and white picket fence. It was…perfect. The yard was large enough to put a pool in if Shelby wanted, with ample space left over for cookouts and games. It had a driveway large enough to fit at least four cars in and had a sunroom that led out into the backyard that Shelby absolutely adored.

The inside was just as gorgeous as the outside, with large, open rooms and four bedrooms on the second floor. The master bedroom had its own en-suite bathroom with large shower and jetted tub. A second bathroom sat at the end of the hall, and joined the two bedrooms on either side of it. Rachel would take the bedroom across from the master, which had its own attached bath. Shelby deemed the smallest bedroom perfect for an office space, and the last bedroom she would turn into the guest room.

"Lu, this is it," Shelby said happily, taking a deep breath of relief. She was thrilled their house hunt was over and their next chapter as mother and daughter could begin.

"Let's check out the basement, shall we?" Lauren replied, returning her sister's smile. She walked over to her exuberant niece and steered her into the kitchen and through the door to the basement.

Shelby signaled for Lexi to go down before her, while she paused in the kitchen. She could already imagine cooking dinner in the house, the smell of herb chicken wafting from the oven as Rachel lounged in the living room watching TV and talking animatedly to her through the large archway connecting the rooms. Shelby ran her fingers over the sandy-colored granite surface of the kitchen island, imagining Rachel sitting at a stool on a Saturday morning watching as her mother prepared pancakes for breakfast.

"MOM! C'MON!" Rachel yelled from downstairs, shaking Shelby out of her daydreaming.

"Rachel, jeez, yell louder. They couldn't hear you five miles away," Lauren said in jest, shaking her head at the little drama queen. The girl was practically bouncing off the walls she was so excited.

Rachel bounded over to her mother and hugged her tightly. Shelby had to quickly regain her balance and wrapped her arms tightly around her child so the girl wouldn't send them both tumbling towards the ground.

"Mom, look how big it is down here! Can we get a piano? And a puppy? We should put a pool out back! Oh and—" Rachel said excitedly.

"Whoa, Rach! One thing at a time! Why don't you and Lexi go check out the backyard while Aunt LuLu and I talk about the boring stuff?" Shelby said, sending the girl off with a light pat.

"Yeah Rach, c'mon! We can go figure out the perfect place for the pool!" Lexi said, grabbing her cousin's hand and dragging her towards the stairs. Shelby just shook her head after the two teens.

"This is a beautiful house," Shelby said as she surveyed the basement. It was a large room, completely finished with hardwood floors and a nice built-in entertainment center. A small hallway led to the laundry room and a small storage room with shelves lining the walls.

"It is. I think this will be a great house for you and Rachel. It's in the perfect location; it's calm here, quiet. Plus it's about equal distance from McKinley and Mom and Dad's house. Can't get much better than that, Shel," Lauren said, coming over to hug her little sister.

"It would be awesome if Aunt Shel got a pool put in. Then I know me and JJ and Haley would be here all the time! The rest of the kids too," Lexi said as she and Rachel made their way out to the backyard.

"Yeah," Rachel said, smiling at her cousin. She hoped her mom would get a pool so her cousins would want to come over all the time. She liked when they were around, especially Lexi. "Will you…will you still come over even if we don't get a pool?" Rachel asked timidly, casting her eyes down.

"What? Of course, silly! We're family," Lexi said, punching Rachel's arm like she would her older brother or cousin Haley. Rachel was one of them now, even if she didn't grow up with the rest of them from a baby. She was a Corcoran and that's what mattered. "And we're friends," she added.

Rachel smiled at her cousin and felt a few tears pool in her eyes. "I-I'm not used to having friends," she whispered, quickly swiping at her eyes.

Lexi reached over to place a gentle hand on Rachel's shoulder. She couldn't even begin to imagine what Rachel was going through. She spent fourteen years with parents that she thought wanted her, only to find out that they couldn't or didn't want to be her parents. Then she gets sent to live with a mother she doesn't even know. Lexi loved her Aunt Shelby; she was probably the coolest person she's ever met, but she would probably be afraid too if she had to go live with someone she didn't know, even if they were family. Rachel seemed to be adjusting pretty well to the family so far. Lexi saw how close Rach and her aunt were already; they acted like they had always been together. But Lexi was sure Rachel was hurting inside anyway. And now Rachel said she wasn't used to having friends…Lexi's heart broke for her younger cousin.

"Aunt Shelby told my mom that you're in a lot of clubs at school. And you're amazing at singing, Rach. Don't you…don't you have at least a few friends at school? People you hang out with?" Lexi asked gently, not wanting to upset Rachel by her questions.

Rachel sighed and shook her head. "Can this stay between us?" she asked.

"Of course. I won't tell," Lexi replied, pretending to turn a key at her lips to lock them.

"I'm picked on all the time at school. People would make fun of me because I have— _had_ —two gay dads. They laugh at how I dress. Someone started calling me Man-Hands last year and it stuck. Now everyone calls me that. I'm in a lot of clubs because I thought it would look good on college applications. I sit by myself all the time…I eat lunch in the auditorium a lot. No one goes in there, so I'm left alone for at least half an hour every day," Rachel said, tears now falling steadily down her cheeks. She had never told anyone about her school life. It felt good to finally tell someone.

"Oh Rach," Lexi said, tears in her own eyes. She pulled the smaller girl into her arms and hugged her tightly. She could feel Rachel relax into the hug; she rubbed her back like her mother always did when she was upset. It seemed to help, and Rachel pulled back a few minutes later, her crying subsiding.

"You should talk to Aunt Shelby about this, Rach. She could help," Lexi said.

"Yeah…my mom, the famous Broadway _star_ …like she knows about being picked on. Besides…I don't want her to know I'm a loser," Rachel scoffed, wiping the back of her hand across her nose.

"You aren't a loser," Lexi argued, reaching for Rachel when the girl started to turn. "Rach!"

Rachel ignored her cousin, staring off towards the next house over and the girl who was getting out of the passenger side door of a blue Jeep Cherokee. Quinn Fabray. Rachel felt her blood turn cold and she stood stock still like a deer caught in the headlights. _Move Rachel, before she sees you! MOVE!_ Rachel screamed in her head.

"Lexi, c'mon!" Rachel whispered urgently, grabbing the girl's hand and tugging at her to follow.

"What's wrong?" Lexi asked as Rachel pulled her back into the house quickly.

"We can't move in here!" Rachel yelled, skidding to a halt in front of her mother and aunt in the kitchen, startling both women with her forcefulness.

"Rach? What…why?" Shelby asked, completely taken aback by Rachel's actions.

"I hate this house! I don't want to live here! Mom, we can't live here!" Rachel continued to yell, stomping her foot and flailing her arms. She was turning red in the face.

Shelby was confused, but she was also getting upset at her daughter's behavior. She had spoken to her multiple times over the last four days about her yelling, and she _knew_ the girl knew better.

"Rachel, stop yelling at me," Shelby scolded, taking a step towards her daughter. She pulled Rachel to her and settled her hands on either side of the girl's shoulders, stooping slightly to be more at Rachel's level.

"Now tell me calmly what is going on. Why can't we move into the house?" she said in a gentler tone. Shelby had no intention of not moving into this house, but she really did want to know what had gotten Rachel so worked up.

"Because I _hate_ it! It's a stupid house and I don't want to live here!" Rachel declared, glaring at her mother defiantly.

Shelby shook her head as she stood to her full height. Her fingers grasped Rachel's elbow firmly as she turned the girl to the side. Four fast and hard swats landed on her bottom.

"You are too old to be acting this way. Now stop it," Shelby chided as she landed one last swat. She knew Rachel had felt the swats; her own hand stung from them and Rachel was wearing a thin cotton sundress that did little to cushion the blows.

Shelby turned her daughter to face her, noting her watery eyes. It hurt Shelby to see her daughter upset, but the girl couldn't continue with her actions. It needed to stop.

Rachel's bottom stung from where her mom spanked her. She couldn't believe she had actually gotten _spanked_. Why couldn't her mom just listen? They couldn't move into this house, not if Quinn Fabray lived next door! Quinn was one of the main people at school that made Rachel's life a living hell. She couldn't go home and see here there too!

"MOM! You're being so _unfair_! Why won't you listen?" Rachel cried out in frustration.

Shelby looked skyward, asking for strength and patience. "Because you are yelling, Rachel, and have been all week. It stops right now, young lady. Am I understood?" Shelby said sternly.

"Mom—"

"Go wait for us in the living room. Now," Shelby ordered. "Lexi, you too, please," she added, turning to the girl, who nodded and quickly left the room.

Lexi breathed a sigh of relief when she entered the living room. Rachel was standing in the foyer, crying softly and rubbing her bottom. Lexi knew her cousin's bottom must be stinging something awful. She had cringed each time her aunt's hand came in contact with Rachel's backside; the sound was so loud, Lexi could almost feel the sting in her own bottom. She had actually been surprised that Aunt Shel had swatted Rachel—not that Rachel didn't deserve it—but Aunt Shel was always the cool, easy-going aunt. She had never swatted Lexi or any of the other cousins. Lexi supposed that because Aunt Shel was Rachel's mom, that's why she swatted. After all, if Lexi had spoken to _her_ mother that way, she'd have gotten those swats and then some.

"I don't know what's gotten into her, Lu! First she loves the house, now she hates it? What the hell just happened?" Shelby huffed. She was frustrated and upset with her daughter. Everything had been fine, and then _BAM_ , full-blown temper tantrum. It was giving Shelby whiplash.

"She's _testing_ you, Shel," Lauren said simply.

"I don't know, Laur. Something definitely upset her…but she's been yelling all week. I just couldn't stand it any longer," Shelby said, running her hand through her hair. "I didn't mean to swat her though."

"You're right, she has been. Even if she's upset, that doesn't excuse the yelling or the tantrum. She _deserved_ those swats, Shel. And it didn't hurt her much. Hopefully that will be enough to fix her attitude," Lauren said.

Shelby just looked at her big sister with watery eyes. The fight with Rachel just now had been physically and emotionally draining for Shelby. She absolutely hated making Rachel cry out from her swats. She knew that Lauren was right and Rachel deserved them, but it didn't make the heartache go away.

"It will be okay, baby girl," Lauren soothed, pulling Shelby in for a brief hug.

"Rach? What happened?" Lexi asked quietly, not sure if she was supposed to be talking to her cousin or not. She glanced behind her but didn't see either of her aunts coming into the room, so Lexi took a few steps closer to Rachel.

Rachel sniffed and turned slightly so she didn't have to look at Lexi. Her butt hurt and she was embarrassed that her mother spanked her in front of her aunt and cousin. Rachel wasn't at all sure how this spanking thing worked, but she figured it shouldn't be done in front of others. That just made it worse.

"Mom wouldn't listen," Rachel mumbled, giving up on her rubbing. It wasn't helping anyway.

Lexi opened her mouth to respond, but Aunt Shel and Aunt LuLu joined them then.

"Alright, let's go home," Shelby said, going over to join her daughter. She sighed and pulled Rachel in for a hug. Rachel melted into her mom's embrace, wanting to be comforted. Shelby kissed Rachel's head before letting go of Rach and holding her at arm's length. "When we get home, you're going straight to bed. You need a bit of a time out to calm down and then we will be talking about your outburst."

The ride back to Nana and PopPop's only took about twenty minutes, but it was the longest car ride in Rachel's whole life. She couldn't help but squirm every few minutes because of her bottom. She couldn't believe how much it still stung even long after the swats were given. Rachel knew one thing though: she did _not_ like spankings one bit!

Aunt LuLu pulled into the driveway and turned off the car. Shelby got out of the passenger side and opened the back door behind her, helping Rachel out. She took a firm hold of her daughter's upper arm and marched her into the house, not pausing to say hello to her parents, and led the girl up into the guest bedroom she had been staying in all week.

"Change into your pajamas and get into bed. You're going to lay down for an hour and then I'll be in and we can talk about earlier," Shelby said, letting go of her daughter and crossing her arms.

She waited for Rachel to change out of her yellow sundress and into a pair of blue shorts and a white tank top. Shelby walked over to the bed and pulled the blankets down, motioning for Rachel to crawl in. Rachel gave her mother a watery look, but Shelby held firm.

"Get in bed, Rachel," she ordered.

Rachel wanted to cling to her mother and tell her how sorry she was, but her mom was staring at her sternly and pointing to the bed. Swiping a hand across her eyes quickly, Rachel got into bed and lay down.

Shelby pulled the covers over Rachel before handing the girl Henry. Rachel took the stuffed animal immediately and held him up to her nose, breathing in her mother's perfume. Shelby bit her lip and willed herself to be strong. She wanted to cry. This was just as hard, if not harder, on her than it was Rachel.

"I love you Rachel, but your actions this afternoon were unacceptable," she said, sitting on the edge of the bed. She reached out and smoothed the covers over her girl.

"Mom, I—"

"Shh. I want you to lay here and don't move until I come in to get you. You can either nap or think about your actions. But stay in bed. Am I clear?"

Rachel gazed at her mother tearfully and nodded her head sadly. "Yes," she whispered.

"Yes, ma'am," Shelby corrected her. "I expect you to answer yes or no ma'am when I ask a direct question like that."

"Yes, ma'am," Rachel repeated obediently.

"I love you, Rach. So much," Shelby said, kissing her daughter's head. She walked to the door with tears streaming down her face.

As soon as her mother shut the door, Rachel rolled over on her stomach and began to cry into her pillow.

Shelby leaned up against the wall outside of the bedroom and listened to her daughter cry. She squeezed her eyes shut while more of her own tears made their way down her face. She hated this. It was the first time she was punishing Rachel. Shelby hadn't even really thought about giving Rachel the earlier swats, they had just happened. Now that a bit of time had passed, Shelby felt a little better about dishing them out, but it still hurt. No one ever told you how much it would hurt to have to punish your child.

Rachel was soaking her pillow with her tears, but she didn't care. She had messed everything up. She really had loved that house until finding out Quinn lived next door. She knew she should have probably explained that to her mother to begin with, instead of yelling, but Rachel really didn't want her mom to know how much of a loser she was. Maybe her fathers knew and that's why they got rid of her. Rachel didn't want to give Shelby any reason to leave her. But…wasn't yelling and having a fit going to push her away too? Yes, Rachel really had messed it up. Her cries turned into wails.

Shelby went into her room down the hall and tried to distract herself until it was time to go get Rachel. She tried reading, but she wound up reading the same sentence twenty times over. The TV was no better; she just stared at the screen. She then took up pacing back and forth. That seemed to help a bit—at least she was moving. She kept glancing at the clock. Five minutes had passed, then ten. She opened her door and could hear Rachel's cries from two rooms away. Deciding they needed to go ahead and have the talk now, Shelby made her way back to her child.

The door opened and Rachel turned to see her mom coming into the room. Her crying got even louder, if that was even possible.

Shelby crawled into bed beside her girl and pulled her into her arms. Rachel immediately laid her head on Shelby's chest and wrapped an arm around her mother's waist.

"I-I'm s-s-s-sorry!" Rachel wailed.

"Shh, shhh, it's alright baby girl," Shelby soothed.

"I d-d-didn't mean i-i-it! I'm sorry I y-yelled!" Rachel cried, soaking her mother's shirt in tears and snot.

"I know, I know," said Shelby, rubbing her daughter's back. She trailed her hand down to her daughter's bottom and she felt Rachel stiffen. "Shhh," she cooed, gently patting her bottom, knowing it was a sure-fire way to calm the girl.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, Rachel's crying was slowing and the girl was beginning to take deep breaths. Shelby sat up when Rachel did and asked if she was feeling better. Rachel met her eyes and nodded before lowering her gaze.

"Mom, I…I'm sorry I made you s-spank me," Rachel said, feeling her face heat up. A few tears made their way down Rachel's cheeks and she sniffed in an attempt to keep her nose from running. It wasn't really working.

"Oh sweetheart," Shelby chuckled, "That wasn't a spanking."

"It wasn't?" Rachel asked, bewildered. It sure had felt like a spanking to Rachel. If that wasn't the case, then what did her mother classify as one, she wondered. "It really hurt," she added with a pout.

"I'm sure it did," Shelby answered, echoing her daughter's pout. "They were meant as a warning. I know we've talked several times in the past couple of days about yelling and how that's not the way to speak to me or to get your way. What are you supposed to do instead?"

"Take a minute to think about what I'm going to say before I say it," Rachel sighed.

"That's right. I haven't been telling you that just to hear myself talk. I mean it. I will always listen to what you have to say, Rachel, but I won't tolerate disrespectful behavior. Yelling at me is never going to give you the outcome you want. In fact, if we have to have this discussion again, I promise I will show you exactly what a real spanking feels like. Do you understand?" Shelby lectured, her voice stern.

"Yes, ma'am," Rachel nodded emphatically, her heart thudding in her chest. If the swats her mom had given her earlier were only a _warning_ , Rachel hated to think what an _actual_ spanking would feel like!

"Good girl," Shelby said, leaning forward to kiss Rachel's forehead. "Now…let's talk about what got you so upset earlier."

"Mom, I…it was nothing," Rachel said, not looking in her mother's eyes. She just couldn't tell Shelby her real reason for yelling. "I said I was sorry…can't we…can't we leave it?"

"No, we can't leave it. I've forgiven you for yelling at me. That's over and done with; we don't need to mention it again. But I want to know what caused you to change your mind so drastically. I know you loved that house, Rach. So what made you say you hated it?" Shelby said, lifting Rachel's chin so the girl was forced to look at her. "You can tell me anything, baby. Talk to me."

"I…can I tell you later?" Rachel asked, biting her lip.

Shelby sighed. She really needed to know what was going on in her daughter's head, but she didn't want to force the issue. Rachel was starting to tear back up, and Shelby was finished with tears for the day. They had both cried enough. "Alright, you can tell me later," she relented.

"Thank you, Mommy," Rachel sighed, snuggling close to her mother again. She liked that they were back to cuddling. Rachel loved cuddling. She felt safe, and like she really belonged.

"Don't think I'll forget, Rach. We are going to talk about this," Shelby said in mock sternness. She was serious about talking, but for now, she was content just holding her baby close after a long week.


	4. New York

**Chapter Four: New York**

Shelby unlocked the door to her apartment with a long sigh of relief. It was going on ten at night and she and Rachel had just gotten home from the airport and the sea of paparazzi waiting for them. Now that they were in New York, Shelby knew they would be dogged like crazy. It had been easier when they were in Ohio, and things were quieter, but it was going to be harder now that they were back in the city.

Rachel went in before her mother and stood just inside the entranceway, completely overcome with everything from the past few hours.

"Thanks for everything, guys," Shelby said as Tom and Josh came through the door, each towing a suitcase. "I don't know what I'd do without you both," she added, standing on her tiptoes to peck each of them on the cheek.

"It's what we're here for, Shel. You know we look after our girl," Tom said warmly, setting the suitcase he had down in the living room.

"Girls now," Josh added, smiling and winking at Rachel.

Rachel liked Josh; he was in his early forties with close-cropped brown hair and hazel eyes. He was an all-around nice guy.

"We'll see you both Sunday afternoon for your first day back to _Wicked_ , Shel. Have a nice evening."

"Call if you need anything," Tom added, hugging Shelby and then Rachel. He had known Shelby for about ten years now, and adored her. He would do absolutely anything for that woman, and she knew it.

"Thanks boys," Shelby said, hugging them both once more before walking them to the door. She locked up once they left and turned to her daughter, who was still standing awkwardly in the entranceway.

"C'mon Rach, let's get settled in. Are you hungry at all?" she said as she wrapped an arm around her girl and steered her towards the bedrooms.

Rachel tried to look around as her mom led her through the apartment. The living room was bright and open, with large windows along the one whole wall so that the city skyline could be seen in all its glory. A small dining table and chairs sat off to the side, and the kitchen was just around the corner. A small hallway led to a bathroom and two closed doors; Rachel suspected those were the bedrooms.

"I hope you don't mind, but you're going to have to sleep in my room with me. I use the spare bedroom as my office," Shelby said as she opened the door to the master bedroom and let Rachel go in ahead of her.

Rachel went over to the bed and ran her fingers over the comforter. It was so soft, Rachel just wanted to curl up on it. Shelby smiled at her daughter as she set a suitcase on the bed and unzipped it. She made quick work of pulling clothes out and tossing them in piles on the floor; she would throw in a load of laundry either tonight or tomorrow. Her mother had offered to do their laundry before she and Rachel left, but Shelby turned it down. Her parents had been more than accommodating this last week and Shelby was capable of doing her and Rachel's laundry when they arrived home.

Rachel made her way around the bed and into the master bathroom, running her hand along everything as she went. It was a weird sensation for her to be in her mom's apartment. Back in Ohio, Shelby had been doing everything in her power to make things as normal as possible for Rachel. They spent the time sequestered around family and it was easy to fall into that world without much thought. Now that she was here in New York, in this fancy New York apartment, it was easier to see her mother not as Shelby Corcoran, daughter of John and Diane Corcoran, but as Shelby Corcoran, the Broadway superstar.

The paparazzi that had been waiting for them in the airport and following them through the gates hadn't helped any. Rachel heard them shouting for her to turn and pose for the cameras. She heard them spewing questions at her and her mother. Some were nasty. They asked Rachel if she felt abandoned, if she felt loved, and whether or not she believed her mom loved her. They threw questions at Shelby as well—why did she think she could be a mother to a teenager after leaving her with two strangers so long ago; was she angry at having to now take care of a teenager when her career was far more important; and was she resentful towards Rachel. Shelby just held her head high and ignored it all, but all of those questions were getting to Rachel. Would her mom get tired of all the negative comments and publicity? Would she decide that Rachel was too much trouble after all?

"Rachel, c'mere a sec!" Shelby called as she went to her dresser and pulled out one of her NYU t-shirts from the second drawer. Shelby knew it would be big on Rachel because it was big on her, but it would be fine for her to sleep in. She held it up to her daughter as the girl walked back into the bedroom.

"Here baby, you can wear this tonight. It'll be big on you, but I need to wash all of the pjs you packed. Tomorrow we'll check with George to see if some of your stuff has arrived yet."

"Who's George? And what stuff?" Rachel asked as she took the t-shirt from her mother. She pulled the tank she was wearing over her head and threw it on the floor. Her bra and skirt quickly followed before putting her mom's shirt on. The hem fell to mid-thigh while the sleeves passed her elbows.

Shelby smiled at the sight of her daughter in her shirt; she was swimming in it. It was adorable though and she quickly walked over to pull Rachel into a hug.

"George is the doorman here; he's a great man, you'll love him! I asked Hiram and LeRoy to send a box of clothes and things here for you. It should have already arrived," Shelby said, kissing Rachel's head.

"What? Why didn't you tell me you talked to them?" Rachel pulled away. She took a step back and crossed her arms.

"It wasn't a big deal, Rach. You needed some more clothes for here. I asked them to pack up some stuff. The rest of your things are being sent to Nana and PopPop's for when we move into our house—though I thought it would be nice if we went shopping for a new bedroom set for you, so you can start fresh. Hiram said your bedroom was made up of a lot of hand-me-down furniture they had. It'd be nice to get your own stuff, don't you think?" Shelby said, reaching her hand out to Rachel, wanting to pull her close again. She saw the hurt on her daughter's face, and she wasn't quite sure why. Surely her getting some things sent here wouldn't upset Rachel?

"Why couldn't I talk to them?" Rachel asked, taking another step back. "You wanted to keep this from me."

"Rach, I didn't know you wanted to talk to them," Shelby answered honestly. "And I'm not keeping anything from you, honey. I didn't know you felt—"

"You're lying!" Rachel huffed and stomped her foot, her anger reaching a boiling point. Truthfully, she hadn't wanted to talk to her…with Hiram and LeRoy, but the idea of not having any sort of say in the matter bothered her.

"Rach, I'm not lying. Why are you so upset?" Shelby asked, taken aback. She wanted to know what was going on in her daughter's head. She hated that the girl was getting upset over something so small.

"You are! You were trying to hide this from me!" Rachel screamed.

"Rachel, lower your voice. We have neighbors," Shelby said calmly.

"I don't care who hears!" Rachel argued.

"Honey, we can talk about this, but you need to calm down first. I can't speak with you if you're yelling at me," Shelby replied, managing to pull her daughter into her arms again. She held her tightly as she fought against her.

"Why did they leave me?" Rachel broke down, clinging to her mother.

"Oh baby," Shelby cooed, holding Rachel tighter. Her heart broke at hearing her child crying. How could she explain to her daughter why any of this happened? She wasn't even sure she knew the real answer; she was glad it happened, but knew it was confusing for Rachel.

"Y-you're gonna leave t-too," Rachel cried, burying her head into her mother's shoulder. She rubbed her nose along her mom's shirt and sniffed loudly.

"I'm never leaving, Rach. _Ever_. You'll always have me, baby," Shelby said firmly, feeling tears beginning to well in her eyes. How could she make Rachel believe that she wasn't going anywhere? She knew she'd have to show her through her actions, and that was fine with Shelby. She would do whatever was necessary to make Rachel feel safe and loved.

Her mom said she loved her and was going to be there for her, but Rachel was still so frightened of doing something to chase her away like she had her fathers. Maybe it would be a good idea to distance herself from her mom now while their relationship was still new; it would hurt less in the long run. Yes, Rachel would push her mom away…but for right now, she would let her comfort her.

Shelby backed the pair of them up to her bed and sat down, pulling Rachel onto her lap. She tried to lie back against the pillows, but Rachel clung to her more urgently, so Shelby remained in their current position. She rubbed her daughter's back and continued to rock, singing _Baby Mine_ quietly. It was the first song Shelby had sung to her baby the night before the meeting with the lawyers, and she thought it appropriate to sing now.

Shelby finished the song and was glad that her daughter's cries were settling down. "I love you so much Rachel, do you know that?" she asked, kissing Rachel's head.

"They never said they l-loved me when they left. Why didn't they love me?" Rachel asked.

Shelby felt a few tears fall down her cheeks. "I don't have all the answers, baby. I just know that I love you and always will. I've loved you your whole life, and I'm so happy I have you now. Everything will turn out okay, you'll see," Shelby said, her voice full of emotion. She wanted nothing more than to take all of Rachel's pain away. If she could bear it herself, she would. She would do anything for her little girl.

Rachel nodded and wiped her nose on her mom's shirt once more. She was hurting and all she wanted was her mom's comfort. She craved it. Rachel wasn't sure if she was going to be able to distance herself from her mom after all. Maybe if she acted up a lot, her mom would get fed up and leave her. And if she didn't…then Rachel would know for sure.

"Come on baby, let's get cleaned up. Then we can lay in bed or go watch something on TV for a bit," Shelby said, helping Rachel stand on shaky feet. Shelby stood and guided her child into the bathroom, flipping on the light. She made Rachel sit on the closed toilet seat before turning around to grab a washcloth from the linen closet just inside the doorway.

Returning to the sink, Shelby waited until the water was warm before wetting the washcloth and turning to Rachel. Gently, she began wiping the tear tracks from her daughter's face. "Here, blow," Shelby said softly, handing her daughter a few tissues for her nose. Shelby threw the washcloth in the clothes hamper in the corner before pulling a fresh towel off of the rack above them.

"Feel better now?" Shelby asked after she dried her daughter's face.

Rachel looked up at her mom guiltily. This was all so confusing for her. One minute she thought acting out would be a good idea, the next she wanted to be on her best behavior so her mom would continue to love her. She wished she could figure out what she wanted to do!

"I'm sorry I yelled at you…again," Rachel sighed, looking down at her hands. She picked at a bit of skin on her thumb.

Shelby placed her own hands over her daughter's, squeezing gently. "Hey," she said, lowering her head a bit to be more at Rachel's eye level. She waited until the girl looked at her. "It's okay. Things are a bit confusing for us right now. We'll figure it out."

"Are you mad?" Rachel asked timidly, lowering her gaze once more.

"No honey, I'm not mad," Shelby replied, pulling Rachel up and into her arms. "I understand."

"I love you, Mom," Rachel said quietly, turning her head to nestle into her mother's neck.

"I love you too. Always," Shelby said, kissing her daughter's head. She felt the girl begin to pull away from her, but she held her close. "Rach?"

"Yeah?" Rachel asked, looking up at her mom.

"Just because I understood tonight doesn't mean it'll be that way every time you yell. What I told you yesterday still applies. Got it?" Shelby said.

"Got it," Rachel nodded, her mother's promise of a spanking echoing in her ears.

"Good girl. Now why don't you go into the living room and pick out a movie for us to watch before bed?" Shelby said, sending Rachel off with two not-so-gentle pats to her bottom. The mother smirked as she watched Rachel flitter off to the living room in nothing more than the big t-shirt and her undies.

"Rachel?" Shelby asked, coming around the corner a few minutes later. "What are you doing?" Her daughter was staring transfixed at her bookcase by the TV, her right arm reaching out towards something on the shelf.

Rachel jumped and moved her hand away from the award. "Mom, I-I…I didn't touch them, I swear," Rachel stammered quickly. She reached her right hand to her left shirtsleeve and grasped it tightly, biting her lip as she did so. She glanced at her mom guiltily, waiting to be scolded.

"What?" Shelby asked, moving over to stand next to her daughter. Then it clicked. Rachel had been looking at the awards on the shelf and Shelby had caught her reaching for the Tony Award in its case. Shelby looked down at her daughter's guilty little face and she melted. "Oh."

"Mom, I promise I didn't—I wasn't gonna take it out of the case or anything!" Rachel continued, shuffling her feet nervously.

Without a word, Shelby reached up and took the Tony from its home. She then grabbed her daughter's hand and led her over to her large sectional sofa. When Rachel was seated next to her, she passed the Tony to her daughter and watched the astonished look pass over her face. The girl was completely in awe.

"Mom…this…I…thank you," Rachel said, unable to form a full sentence. She was in too much shock. Here she sat on Shelby Corcoran's sofa in Shelby Corcoran's apartment holding _Shelby Corcoran's Tony Award_. It was an intense feeling, to say the least.

"It's no big deal, Rach," Shelby said, shaking her head at her daughter's reaction. Though admittedly, Shelby once thought it was a big deal as well. That was before she was reunited with Rachel, when she put everything she had into her career to numb the pain of having given up her child.

"No…no big deal?" Rachel asked incredulously, looking at her mother like she had two heads. Winning a Tony Award was a _very big deal_ _!_ It was what all Broadway stars aspired to win! And here her mom was telling her it was no big deal. What was _wrong_ with her?

"It's just a trophy, Rach," Shelby shrugged, gently taking the award back and returning it to its case.

"Just a— _Mom_ , it's a _Tony_! How can you say that?" Rachel said, her mouth hanging open in shock. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Shelby rolled her eyes at her little drama queen and returned to her seat next to her. "There are more important things than a Tony, Rachel."

"What could possibly be more important than a Tony?" Rachel retorted. It was official—her mom was crazy. Certifiable.

Shelby smiled warmly at her child and reached out to tap Rachel's nose. "You," she said, her voice cracking the tiniest bit.

Rachel furrowed her brows and looked at her mother skeptically. "But—"

"Rach, you are the most important thing that has ever happened to me. Nothing means more to me than you," Shelby said, kissing Rachel's cheek.

"But—"

" _Nothing_ ," Shelby said more forcibly.

Rachel gave her mom a crooked smile and quickly looked away, trying her best to blink away the tears that were forming.

"Now, are we going to watch a movie or what?" Shelby asked, playfully pushing Rachel so that she fell to the side. She used this opportunity to tickle the girl until she was laughing hysterically.

"M-M-Mommy! Noooo! S-stop!" Rachel yelled, out of breath. She was curled up into a tiny ball, but her mom was still finding all of her ticklish spots.

Shelby was laughing as well and having a great time. She supposed she should let up soon so Rachel could breathe.

"Alright Rach, I'll stop," she said, patting Rachel's bottom quickly.

Rachel uncurled herself from her fetal position and crawled onto her mom's lap, wrapping her arms around her neck and holding on tightly.

Shelby obliged and held her daughter until the girl's breathing returned to normal and she calmed down. "Did you pick out a movie, sweetie?" she breathed into her daughter's hair, smoothing down a few fly away strands.

"Can we watch _Funny Girl_?" Rachel asked, giving her mom puppy-dog eyes. "I already put it in the DVD player."

"Yes, we can watch _Funny Girl_ ," Shelby laughed. It was her favorite musical, and she had a feeling it was Rachel's as well. "Come with me to get some snacks."

Rachel followed her mother into the kitchen and watched as Shelby began rifling through the cabinets.

"How does popcorn sound?" Shelby asked, holding up a bag of popping corn in her hand.

"Perfect," Rachel said, smiling.

Shelby nodded and ripped the plastic off of the bag before placing it in the microwave to pop. She then went to the cabinet by the fridge and pulled out two glasses. One was a normal drinking glass, but she pulled out a glass tumbler with gold stars etched on it for Rachel.

Turning to the refrigerator, Shelby poked around inside to see what she had that Rachel may like. "Apple juice okay with you, kiddo?" she asked.

"Uh huh," Rachel agreed, watching her mom take the jug from the fridge and kick the door shut with her foot. Rachel took the star glass from her mother with a large smile. She loved stars, especially gold ones. She always had. She wasn't sure where her mom had gotten this glass, but Rachel knew that she never wanted to drink out of any other glass again.

"Stars are kind of my thing," Shelby said when she noticed Rachel's fixation on the glass.

"Mine too," Rachel said, staring up at her mom with bright eyes.

"Must get that from me, baby," Shelby said, smiling. "Why don't you take our drinks into the living room and get comfy? I'll be in as soon as the popcorn is done."

Rachel returned to the living room and placed the drinks on the glass coffee table before curling up on the sofa. She ran her hand over the soft charcoal gray suede, making patterns in the fabric. The sofa was huge and could easily seat eight or more people comfortably. Rachel especially liked that the far left end of the sectional was more of a lounge chair that allowed her to stretch out on it. Her feet didn't even come close to touching the edge.

Rachel took this moment to really look around the room and admire her mother's decorating style. The whole place was very chic. The floors were beautifully polished lightwood while a large, plush, steely gray area rug separated the living room from the dining area. Silky, plum-colored throw pillows were paired with ones covered in a white and black floral pattern, all placed strategically on the sofa. A soft plum blanket with long tasseled ends was folded at the bottom of the lounge section, draping over the corner edge near the armrest. The furniture—from the TV stand, bookshelf, to the dining table—were a rich mahogany that complimented the gray and plum tones nicely.

"Let's get started!" Shelby said happily, coming into the living room holding a large bowl of fresh popcorn. She handed the bowl to her daughter so she could grab the remotes for the TV and DVD player. "Move over," she added when she returned to the sofa. She smiled as Rachel huffed and scooted over so Shelby could have the spot by the armrest.

Shelby grabbed the blanket at their feet and threw it over her and Rachel's legs, getting snuggly before sitting the bowl of popcorn on her lap and wrapping her right arm around Rachel's shoulders and pulling the girl close. She turned on the TV and was just about to hit play when she felt Rachel look up at her.

"Mommy?" Rachel asked, snuggling closer to Shelby.

"Hmm?"

"Am I really more important than your Tony Award?" she asked.

"Baby, you're more important than a million Tony Awards," Shelby responded, placing a kiss on Rachel's head before pressing play.

 **Open Arms * Open Arms * Open Arms**

Shelby relaxed against her padded headboard, sipping her coffee and watching contently as her baby slept beside her. She had stayed up long after she tucked Rachel in for the night, thinking of ways she could show her daughter just how much the girl meant to her. She wanted to quell Rachel's fears that Shelby was going to leave her. But how?

The answer came as Shelby was finally slipping off to sleep early this morning. She had a whole box filled with cards and letters that she had gathered for Rachel over the years. She was going to give the box to her daughter once she turned eighteen and Shelby would legally be able to contact her, but now that she had Rachel, there was no reason she had to wait any longer. And it would prove to Rach that Shelby had always wanted her baby.

Rachel began to stir, so Shelby quickly placed her coffee on her nightstand so she could snuggle closer to the girl as she woke.

Rachel felt her mom wrap her arms around her waist and pull her closer. She yawned and opened her right eye to stare at her mom. "What time is it?" she asked.

"Almost eleven," Shelby replied, leaning forward to kiss Rachel's forehead.

Rachel groaned, which just made Shelby laugh. Oh her little drama queen. "Why'd you let me sleep so late?" complained Rachel.

"Rach, you didn't go to bed until well after two in the morning. There was no way I was waking you. Besides, do you have any pressing plans today?" Shelby countered.

"No, but—"

"Why is it so important to wake up early?" Shelby asked. She really had no idea why Rachel always fought her so hard about getting up early. She was still trying to break the girl of it. That was one of the major reasons Shelby let her stay up so late at night, to hopefully get her to sleep until a reasonable hour.

Rachel huffed and tried to roll away from her mom, but Shelby was having none of that.

"You can't get away from talking to me forever, young lady. What's going on in that pretty little head of yours?" Shelby said, preventing Rachel from rolling over with a hand to her shoulder.

"Mom," Rachel whined, "Can't I just tell you later?"

"No. Later never seems to come for you, Rach. You've still be avoiding telling me why you threw a tantrum at the new house the other day. Come on, let's get up and talk," Shelby said, throwing the covers off her little girl.

Rachel groaned and rolled all the way onto her stomach, wanting to ignore her mother. Shelby just wasn't letting her. "Mommy," she pouted.

"Now Rach," Shelby said firmly, landing a few light but firm pats on Rachel's bottom. When Rachel still didn't move, she gave her a real swat. _That_ got the girl moving, although begrudgingly.

"Go to the bathroom and then meet me in the kitchen. I'll make us some French toast and we can talk," Shelby said, grabbing her coffee cup and standing. She raised an eyebrow and fixed Rachel with a stern gaze when she didn't move.

Grumbling to herself, Rachel shuffled off to the bathroom, rubbing the stinging spot on her backside. She glared at her mom over her shoulder before shutting the door. Her mom could be really annoying sometimes. Why did she want to make Rachel talk about things she wanted to leave alone?

Shelby left the bedroom, shaking her head and mumbling to herself. Her little girl was turning into quite a handful. On her way to the kitchen, Shelby stepped into the room she used as an office. It was a large room with a black leather sofa along the wall closest to the door. A desk sat in the left corner of the room with Shelby's laptop sitting on top; a bookcase full of books and trinkets sat directly next to it. Taking up the majority of the rest of the space was a sleek, black, baby grand piano. On top of it sat an ornately carved wooden box that held every single letter and card Shelby had ever written to her child. Shelby ran her hand lovingly over the carved flower design and the cursive R resting in the very center of the design.

Rachel decided to take a shower before breakfast and the talk with her mother. She had a feeling it was going to be long and drawn out, so she wanted to at least go out there feeling fresh.

When she exited her mother's bedroom twenty minutes later dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, she could smell the sweet scent of syrup and cinnamon wafting from the kitchen. Her mother was singing softly to herself and smiled when Rachel came to sit on one of the barstools at the island.

"Perfect timing. Breakfast is ready," Shelby said, placing two pieces of French toast on the two waiting plates. She turned and got out silverware for her and Rach while making the girl pull out the margarine and juice from the fridge.

As soon as they got their plates, mother and daughter moved to the dining room table to eat their breakfast. Shelby noticed Rachel was still a bit grumpy, but she figured that would wear off in a little bit. She would be having that chat with her daughter regardless, but for now she was happy sitting in silence with her girl.

Rachel immediately began to rise the minute she was done eating, but Shelby stopped her. "Where do you think you are going?" she asked.

Rachel blushed. She forgot that it was one of her mom's rules to ask to be excused before leaving the table. She never had to do that with her fathers. Sighing, she sat back in her seat and gave her mom sad puppy eyes. "May I be excused, Mom?" she asked.

"Only to the sofa. You and I are going to have that talk, little girl," Shelby said, taking her last bite of toast.

"Mom!" Rachel whined, her face falling. She didn't want to do this!

"Rachel, am I really that horrible to talk to?" Shelby asked, staring at her daughter sadly. She knew her child was hurting, but if she just _talked_ to Shelby and told her what the problem was, Shelby could work on fixing it and making things easier.

Rachel felt a pang of guilt flow through her at her mother's question. She wasn't horrible to talk to at all. Rachel liked talking to her…just not about things she didn't want to talk about. Why couldn't her mom understand? She shook her head and glanced down at her feet.

"No, I—my dads never made me talk to them," Rachel mumbled, still staring at the floor.

"Oh Rach," Shelby sighed, getting up and making her way over to her daughter. "I'm not your fathers. You and me? We're gonna talk—a lot…like, _all the time_. And sometimes, we're going to have to talk about things that are hard, but I am always here for you. It's my job to help you and guide you. Let me do that, baby," she continued, pulling her child close to her and holding her tightly.

"What if…what if you don't like what I have to say?" Rachel asked in barely more than a whisper. Shelby had to listen hard to hear her.

"Rach, you could tell me absolutely anything in the world and it will never change my opinion of you. I love you, little one," Shelby replied, running a hand through Rachel's damp hair.

"I'm scared."

Shelby pulled back and cupped Rachel's face in her hands gently, rubbing her thumbs carefully under Rach's eyes to wipe away the tears forming.

"That's what I'm here for, baby. You can talk to me about anything, and I'll always do my best to make the problem go away. Sometimes I won't be able to, but even if I can't, you always have me to protect you, and hold you. You don't have to do anything alone. Now I know that it's going to take time before this all comes naturally to you, but we're going to work on that, okay? Starting today," she said, tilting Rachel's head so that she could place a kiss to her forehead.

Shelby took her daughter's hand and took her over to the sofa. "Rach, I need to get the dishes in the dishwasher, but I want you to start looking at something before we have our talk. I think it may help you," she said, pushing Rachel gently down onto the sofa. She then turned to the coffee table and picked up the wooden box. Taking a deep breath, she placed the box on her daughter's lap.

"What is this?" Rachel asked, running her fingers over the top of the box. The letter R was carved into the middle with flowers flowing out and around it.

"That Rach, is everything I've ever written to you, from the moment you were born. It's all of the letters I've written, all the notes, birthday cards, holiday cards…it's everything. You're my everything," Shelby said, her voice cracking. She sniffled and quickly wiped her tears away.

"Mom—"

"Take a few minutes and look through it, Rach. I'll be right back," Shelby said, sniffling even more. "I've always loved you, Rachel. I always will. I'm your mother, and you're my baby. That bond…it never breaks."


	5. Wicked

**Chapter Five: Wicked**

Rachel watched her mom collect the breakfast dishes and disappear into the kitchen before turning back to the box in her lap. Her mom really wrote her letters and got her cards for all the years she missed? Rachel knew she shouldn't be surprised; ever since her first phone call with her mom, she could tell how much the woman loved her. It was just hard for Rachel to fully comprehend. She was so confused. She was hurting. Everything she had thought for the last fourteen years had come crumbling down around her all at once a little over a month ago. Now nothing made any sense, and Rachel wasn't sure what to believe. She didn't want to take anything at face value anymore.

Taking a deep breath, Rachel undid the small bronze latch and opened the box. It was filled with different colored papers of all shapes and sizes. Cards, letters, notes…Rachel even saw a few doodles. With trembling fingers, Rachel reached inside the box and pulled out an envelope at random. She carefully slipped her finger under the tucked flap and took the card from inside. It had a picture of a puppy on the front wearing a party hat and sitting in front of a birthday cake with a large number five on it. Inside was the traditional "Happy Birthday" sentiment, but what interested Rachel most was her mother's graceful cursive writing, so much like Rachel's own.

 _Dear Baby Girl,_

 _You're five today. I can't believe it!_

 _You are no longer a baby, but are turning into your own little person, a person I want to meet so badly. I think about you every day, but your birthday is always a special day, filled with so much joy, and so much sorrow._

 _I wonder what you are like at this age. What is your favorite nursery rhyme, your favorite lullaby? I dream of rocking and singing you to sleep each night. I love you, my beautiful little girl. One day I will explain everything to you._

 _Until then, I wish you the best and pray for your happiness. Happy Birthday my sweet girl._

 _Love always,  
Mommy_

Rachel felt tears falling down her cheeks, but she grabbed a letter and quickly opened it. Her tears fell quicker now.

 _December 18, 1994_

 _My Sweet Rachel,_

 _You aren't even two hours old yet and my heart is bursting for love for you. I didn't get to hold you, but when the nurses took you to clean you up, you looked over at me. Our eyes met and you stopped crying. An electric current shot through me. It was the most intense thing I've ever experienced._

 _My little girl, I love you so much. I wish I could keep you with me forever, but I know your daddies will love you just as much and more than I do. They will give you a happy life and when you turn eighteen, I'll find you. That I promise._

 _I love you,  
Mommy_

Shelby really had gotten a card for every one of Rachel's birthdays, for every major holiday, and even some just because. Rachel couldn't read through any more cards or letters right now, she was just looking at them as a whole. This box…it contained all of Shelby's love for her in writing. Shelby loved her. She had a box full of cards to prove it. Her tears turned into sobs.

Shelby rushed out of the kitchen when she heard Rachel sobbing. She knew seeing that box was going to be emotional for the girl, but she wasn't expecting to hear heart wrenching sobs full of despair.

"Shh, baby girl, Mommy's here," Shelby cooed, sitting down next to Rachel. In one smooth move, she had the box on the coffee table and her daughter tucked securely in her arms. "The box was supposed to show you how much I love you, baby. I didn't mean to upset you."

"I-It's not y-you!" Rachel sobbed. "It's them! You always w-wanted me! Why d-didn't they find you s-s-sooner? They knew for a long time that I wasn't what they w-wanted."

"That's all over, Rach. You're with me now. That's all that matters," Shelby soothed.

"You really won't leave me?" Rachel cried. She was sitting on her mother's lap, tucked up against her chest. She felt safe in her mom's arms, but she was still so frightened of being abandoned again. True, her father's never left her to fend for herself or treated her badly or anything like that, but they never provided the love and support she needed. And wanted. But Shelby…Shelby was doing all of that and _more_.

"I could _never_ leave you, Rach. You're stuck with me whether you like it or not," Shelby replied.

Shelby sat with her child and waited out the tears. It broke her heart every time Rachel cried. She'd been crying a lot—almost every day since she got her—but Rachel had also been through a rollercoaster of emotions the past month. She was confused and Shelby understood that crying was the only way for Rachel to let all of the excess emotions out. Well, that and yelling. Rachel yelled when she was upset about something; it was easier to lash out and act up than it was for her daughter to just _tell_ her what was wrong. Shelby was hoping that sitting Rachel down and slowly getting her to open up would help with some of the pent up emotions coursing through her small body.

When Rachel's crying had stopped, save for the occasional sniffle, Shelby shifted the girl on her lap so she could look at her better. She ran a hand over the girl's cheeks, brushing away the lingering tears and stray hairs that had fallen in her face.

"Rach, let's talk some now," she said gently.

Rachel shook her head, taking hold of her mom's right hand and playing with her fingers. She didn't know where to even begin. She knew she'd have to talk no matter what, but she just wanted to postpone that moment for as long as she could.

"Rach—"

"I…I don't know how, Mom. I don't know where to start," Rachel said softly, looking up into her mother's hazel eyes for a split second before returning her attention back to her mom's hand. She couldn't help but notice the deep concern in her mom's eyes, even in the brief glance she gave her. Rachel knew she was just trying to help. It was hard though.

"Can I ask you some questions and we go from there?" Shelby asked just as softly. Rachel nodded ever so slightly, which Shelby took as a good sign. At least she was willing to try. "Why do you want to wake up so early every morning, even when you don't have to? You get so upset, baby. I don't understand."

Rachel sighed and turned her mother's hand over so it was facing palm up. She spent a minute or two running her fingers lightly over it, tracing her lines. "My fath—Hiram and LeRoy—always got up early and if I got up when they were eating breakfast, we'd all sit together and…Well, it was one of the only times they'd try to talk to me about things I liked. Nighttime and weekends they would talk more about their jobs and things going on in their lives…I liked when they'd try to get on my level," Rachel said.

Shelby listened patiently while Rachel explained. The Berry men had told Shelby during one of their conversations that they didn't know how to talk to Rachel. She hadn't realized the extent of it until now. Her heart hurt for her child who felt she needed to get up early just so she could get a little bit of the attention she wanted from her parents.

"You know that you don't have to get up early for us to talk though, right? We can talk anytime you'd like, day or night. Hell, you can wake me up in the middle of the night just to talk, if that's what you want," Shelby said, squeezing Rachel's hand.

"I know…it's hard to remember sometimes, you know? I'm so used to getting up early. And…I keep thinking I'm going to wake up one morning and it's all going to have been a dream. I don't want to wake up if it is," Rachel said, fresh tears pooling in her eyes.

"Oh Rach," Shelby soothed, once again wrapping her arms tightly around her girl, "I promise this isn't a dream. I'm not going anywhere."

"I never thought that something like this would happen," Rachel replied, resting her head against her mother's shoulder. "What if you get tired of me too? My da—they did."

Shelby sighed. How could she relieve Rachel's fears about this? She had a feeling she would just have to continue to be reassuring and keep telling Rachel over and over again how much she loves her and that she isn't going anywhere, until Rachel truly believes it. She wished she could find an easier way, for Rachel's sake, but Shelby would reassure her child every day for the rest of her life if she had to.

"That could never happen, sweetie," she said. "I know it's going to take some time before you truly believe this, but I'm in this for the long haul, Rach. I'm here for everything—the good, the bad, and all the moments in between."

"You promise?" Rachel asked, sounding so much younger than her fourteen years.

"I promise. I'll tell you every minute of every day if that's what it takes, baby," Shelby replied, planting kiss after kiss to her daughter's head.

"You'll get tired of that. I'll annoy you and make you leave and then—"

"Hey, none of that. I will _not_ get tired of reassuring you. If it helps you, that's exactly what I'll do. And you could never make me want to leave you," Shelby said firmly.

"I've been bad," Rachel continued as if she hadn't heard Shelby. The girl wasn't really thinking about what she was saying, all of her fears and insecurities were simply spilling out of her.

"You haven't been bad, Rach. Why would you say that?" Shelby asked. She was glad Rachel was talking to her and sharing her fears. Her heart broke to hear the sadness and vulnerability underneath the girl's words. She was still very much a little girl, wanting nothing more than the love of a parent.

"I keep yelling at you. And I got in trouble on Thursday. I yelled at you all last week…and again last night. And I wasn't very nice this morning either," Rachel said softly. She still had her head resting on her mom's shoulder, but she turned in more so she wouldn't have to look into her mom's eyes.

Shelby laughed softly and reached up to cradle Rachel's head against her like you would a baby. "Oh Rachel," she sighed, running her fingers gently through the girl's hair. "I don't exactly _like_ the yelling, but I understand that things have been hard for you. You're adjusting and all the crying and yelling is your way of dealing with your feelings right now. And yes, you did get into some trouble on Thursday, but that doesn't make you bad. Far from it."

"What if I get into more trouble? Will you…will you leave me?" Rachel asked even softer than before.

Shelby maneuvered Rachel so that she could look at the girl when she answered her. Rachel refused to meet her mom's eyes, so Shelby placed a hand on either side of the girl's face and forced her head up gently.

"I need you to look at me for this part, Rach," she said, waiting until the girl met her gaze. Hazel eyes met brown, and Shelby took a deep breath.

"I will _never_ leave you. I don't care what you do, nothing can chase me away. When you get into trouble, you'll be punished, but we'll get through it. There really is nothing to worry about, Rach," Shelby said.

"But—"

"Rachel, you can be a royal pain in my ass and I _still_ won't leave…Granted, I may spank yours," Shelby said, winking at her daughter before giving her a kiss to her forehead. She let her hands fall from Rachel's face and let the girl snuggle back into her.

Rachel blushed slightly at her mom telling her she'd spank her butt, but she couldn't help but smile at her mom's light tone. _She wrote all those letters and cards and has kept them in a box for you. She's saved them, for you. Shows how much she wants you_ , Rachel reminded herself.

"Speaking of Thursday," Shelby began, laughing when Rachel groaned. "I haven't forgotten, young lady. I know you wanted me to. Talk to me."

"Mommy," Rachel whined, giving her mom a pouty face. She really wanted to avoid this particular conversation.

"Rach, I really need to know what made you so upset. I can help, baby," Shelby pleaded. She saw how much Rachel wanted to avoid it, but she was just trying to help.

"Mom, please, I…I can't tell you. I don't want you to…" Rachel trailed off, pulling her mother's hand onto her lap and playing with it again.

"Don't want me to what, Rach?" Shelby pressed.

Rachel sighed and shook her head. She had said too much already. Her mother wasn't going to let her get off that easily, however.

"Please don't make me tell you right now. I promise I'll tell you when I'm ready," Rachel pleaded, her eyes tearing up yet again. She hated crying all the time, but she never seemed to be able to stop it—not real tears, at any rate. She could, after all, cry on command when she needed. All good actresses needed to be able to.

"Rach—"

"Please Mom," Rachel said, a few tears making their way down her cheeks.

"Okay baby," she relented. "You can tell me when you're ready. But you promise to tell me when you are?" Shelby wrapped her arms more securely around her daughter and rocked them back and forth gently.

"Promise," mumbled Rachel.

Shelby nodded and kissed Rachel's head. She began to hum softly while the girl calmed down. Shelby had gotten enough out of her for one day.

"Thank you for telling me those things, Rach. I'm very proud of you, baby girl," she said, wanting to encourage her child to open up to her more often.

Rachel was content sitting in her mother's lap, being held and rocked gently. Her mom placed kisses to her head every few minutes. Rachel loved how easy it was to seek comfort from her mom—Shelby gave it willingly, and without pause. Rachel couldn't remember the last time her dads had held her.

"Mom?"

"Yes?"

"When my…my dads figured I was upset, do you know what they would do?" Rachel said, running her fingers along her mom's arm softly. She liked the feel of her mom's skin. It was soft and smooth and smelled good. Rachel was starting to connect home and safety to her mother's vanilla and coconut scent.

"No sweetie, what would they do?" Shelby asked, resting her head on top of Rachel's for a moment. She smelled like Shelby's favorite coconut-scented shampoo.

"They'd bring me a glass of water. Every time I was sad, one of them would knock on my door and hand me the glass…" Rachel trailed off, resting her hand on her mother's arm.

Shelby wasn't sure what to say to Rachel's words. Did she want a glass of water? Did she just want to share that story with her? Before Shelby could formulate a way to respond, Rachel spoke up again.

"Do you think…that was their way of making me feel better?"

Shelby took a pause to organize her thoughts. "I truly think it was, baby. I know your dads love you."

"They hardly ever told me. They didn't even tell me the last time I saw them…at the lawyer's office," Rachel whispered.

"I'm sorry they didn't tell you, Rach. I don't think your dads are good at voicing their feelings…they try to express it through their actions," Shelby said.

"But that doesn't make any sense, Mom…They gave me away," Rachel said, turning so she could look her mother in the eyes.

"They gave you to me…to make you happy. Are you happy with me, Rach?" Shelby asked. She wasn't sure if she really should ask that question, but she couldn't help it. She wanted Rach to be happy with her.

"I'm the happiest I've ever been!" Rachel said forcefully, staring into her mother's eyes intently. "Well…I mean...it's confusing. I _am_ happy that I'm with you. I've wondered about who my mother was my whole life! I imagined what it'd be like to meet you. It just all came as a shock…I mean, first my dads tell me I'm going to go live with my mother from now on, and then I find out my mother is _you_! And you tell me you love me the first time we spoke and then I'm meeting you for the first time with a bunch of reporters all around. I meet cousins I never knew I had and grandparents and all of them keep telling me they love me…But there's just one thing I don't get…" Rachel spouted very quickly, trailing off at the end.

Shelby followed as best she could, but Rachel was speaking very quickly now and it was hard to keep up. "What don't you get, sweetie?" she asked, reaching up to brush Rachel's hair behind her ear. Rachel's face was scrunched up in thought and she hadn't noticed when her hair fell in her face.

Brown eyes met hazel once again and Rachel took a deep breath. "You and Nana and PopPop and Aunt LuLu and Uncle Jack and _everyone_ have said they love me and we all just met. But the two people I grew up with…They spent all that time looking for someone to carry a child for them and then made you sign that _stupid_ contract. They raised me and cared for me and then all of a sudden, they tell me they aren't what I need. They hardly ever said they loved me and couldn't even say it the last time I'll probably ever see them and…Well, I don't think they ever really _did_ love me after all," Rachel finished, leaning against her mother. She was confused and her thoughts were all over the place. It was exhausting and more than a little frustrating.

"Oh Rachel—"

"Was it something I did? Why couldn't they love me?" Rachel asked. She was surprised she wasn't crying, but the tears just wouldn't come. Rachel felt numb, actually. But she was glad she was talking about this with her mom. She thought it would be harder, but it wasn't. It was all just pouring out of her now, without a filter. It was… _freeing_.

"No baby, it wasn't anything you did. You are _perfect_ ," Shelby said softly, beginning to rock back and forth again.

"But—"

"Rachel, you may be too young to truly understand this, but your dads _do_ love you, sweetie. They love you so much, and them giving you to me is testament to that. They realized that they weren't providing you with the attention you needed," Shelby explained, quieting Rachel when the girl tried to interrupt. "Yes, they took care of all of your basic needs, but they weren't able to provide for you emotionally or connect with you. Rach…they realized they didn't take enough interest in your life. They didn't know how to, sweetie. So they did what was best for you, and contacted me. They want you to be happy."

"It still doesn't make much sense," Rachel whined, rubbing at her right eye with the back of her fingers. This was ridiculous! It was barely twelve-thirty, Rachel hadn't been up for more than two hours _and_ she had slept late, and she was already getting tired again.

Shelby smiled sadly at her child, who looked much more like a tired, cranky toddler than teenager at this very moment. She was glad she had this talk with Rachel, but it was clearly draining on the girl, both emotionally and physically. Shelby was just thinking she should try to convince Rachel to take a nap when the girl yawned and tried to move even closer to Shelby.

"Things will get better in time, sweetheart, I promise. Why don't you try to lay down for a bit and rest?" Shelby said, kissing Rachel's head.

"No Mom, I'm not tired," Rachel whined as she yawned again.

"Okay, well how about we watch a movie and just lay around? Does that sound good?" Shelby asked, trying a different approach. She smiled when Rachel nodded. "Pick out a movie while I go throw some laundry in. I forgot to do that earlier, and you need some clean clothes for tomorrow."

Rachel got up to investigate her mother's movie collection again while Shelby went to collect the dirty laundry from the floor in her bedroom. She quickly threw the clothes into a small clothesbasket and took it into the bathroom in the hall that also happened to house her washer and dryer.

Shelby returned a few minutes later with a pillow from her bed and Henry. She laughed as Rachel eyed her suspiciously. "I just thought you'd like to be comfy," Shelby said innocently, placing the things on the sofa. "What did you decide on?"

"I'm not taking a nap," Rachel said firmly, getting up from the floor where she had been looking through the movies in the cabinet of the tv stand. " _My Best Friend's Wedding_. I like the part where they sing in the restaurant."

"That's one of my favorite parts too," Shelby said, smiling. "I'm going to get us something to drink. Are you hungry at all?"

Rachel shook her head no, so Shelby went off to get them some water while telling the girl to put the movie in the player. She came back a few minutes later to Rachel sitting expectantly on the sofa. She noticed she had picked up Henry and was holding him close.

Shelby placed her and Rachel's drinks on the tray she had gotten out of the closet the night before. It was easier to put the drinks on that and place it close to the lounge than it was to have to move around to get to the coffee table. She got settled in her normal spot near the armrest and placed the pillow on her lap, motioning for Rachel to lie down. Rachel eyed her mom suspiciously, but after a moment's deliberation, stretched out on the sofa. Shelby grabbed her plum-colored blanket and shook it out so it fell over her daughter. She then grabbed the remotes and pressed play, her fingers finding their way to Rachel's head to rub soothing circles while the opening sequence started. Shelby couldn't help but tap her foot as the song _Wishing and Hoping_ began.

By two o'clock that afternoon, Shelby was on her third tub of laundry, had straightened up her closest so that she could hang up Rachel's clothes, and was now sitting on the other side of the sofa so that she didn't disturb the sleeping teenager spread out on the longer section. Rachel had fallen asleep not even thirty minutes into the movie, so Shelby paused it so they could resume it later and carefully extracted herself from beneath her daughter. She sat with her laptop, going through emails. She had several from her publicist, Jackie, talking about this interviewer, that talk show, this late night host, and that magazine, all wanting Shelby and Rachel to do interviews. Jackie urged Shelby to consider accepting some of them to try to curb the media demand.

Shelby sighed. She knew sooner or later she would have to do at least a few interviews, especially since she was going to be announcing her retirement from _Wicked_ and Broadway tomorrow afternoon at the matinee show. That was going to stir up even more buzz and the paparazzi would be out for blood. Shelby was trying to shield Rachel from as much of the media backlash as she could, but truth was, there was only so much Shelby could do. It was probably better to do this on her own terms than be forced into it later. Sighing again, Shelby shut her laptop and set it down next to her. She would deal with all of this later.

Shelby planned on just sitting and watching Rachel sleep for a while, but a knock at the door had her jumping up immediately. She didn't want the raps to wake up her sleeping girl. She looked out the peephole just to make sure it wasn't a stranger—though they'd be hard pressed to get past George or any of the security guards in the lobby. But when Shelby saw who it was, she smiled broadly and quickly flung the door open.

"Oh my God, Sasha! What are you doing here?" Shelby asked excitedly, standing aside so the woman could come in. She was carrying a large box and a stack of mail.

"I couldn't wait to see you and I'm _dying_ to meet Rachel!" Sasha replied, laughing and setting the box on the floor. "George sent that up with me, and I took the liberty of getting your mail for you. You're welcome."

"Thank you for bringing that stuff up," Shelby said, lowering her voice and ushering Sasha into the apartment. "It's been a long morning. Rachel is asleep right now and—"

"Oh _Shelby_!" Sasha sighed, placing her hand to her heart. "She's beautiful! And looks just like you!"

Shelby smiled proudly and went over to place a soft kiss to Rachel's forehead. She took a moment to adjust the blanket before turning back to Sasha. "Would you like a cup of coffee? We can catch up. I've missed you," she said.

"That sounds wonderful," Sasha replied, following Shelby into the kitchen. "How are you guys doing? I know you said you had a bit of a rough time on Thursday."

"She still won't tell me what made her so upset that day, but we did talk for a long time today. She shared a lot—more than I was expecting, actually. I have a feeling it's going to be a slow process," Shelby replied, pulling out the Folgers container.

"Well you're already doing an amazing job, Shel. You are a _wonderful_ mother," Sasha said.

"I'm trying," Shelby said, making a face at her friend.

The beautiful blonde woman sitting at her kitchen island was her best friend in the entire world, and had been since freshmen year at NYU. She was especially great when Shelby decided to become pregnant with a child she wouldn't be able to see for eighteen years afterwards just so a gay couple could start a family. Sasha hadn't agreed with Shelby's decision, but she supported her none-the-less.

Shelby had become pregnant with Rachel in April of senior year, and Sasha had helped her through the last few weeks of classes and awful morning sickness. Finals that year had been rough; Shelby had to go perform _I Dreamed a Dream_ from _Les Mis_ at nine am on a Monday morning—right in the middle of her daily morning worship of the porcelain throne. Sasha had taken Shelby to her final, shoving Saltines down Shelby's throat and ordering her not to throw up. Shelby nailed the song and promptly ran off stage where Sasha was waiting with a trashcan. She remembered Sasha holding out the can and letting Shelby empty her stomach contents while she held Shelby's hair back for her and rubbed soothing circles on her back.

"Are you excited to go back on stage tomorrow? I've missed you there! Katie just isn't up to your standards!" Sasha said. "You're the only Elphaba as far as I'm concerned."

Shelby couldn't help but laugh. Katie was Shelby's understudy and had taken over as the lead while Shelby was in Ohio. And she'd be taking over for good once Shelby finished the coming week. "I am excited actually. I can't wait to take Rachel—I know she's going to love the show and seeing backstage," she replied, leaning against the counters while she waited for the coffee to brew.

"Mom?"

"Speaking of Rachel," Shelby laughed, raising her eyebrow playfully at Sasha. "In here, baby!"

"Mom, why'd you let me sleep again, I—" Rachel trailed off when she came into the kitchen area and saw a woman sitting at the island. And not just any woman, but _Sasha Montgomery_ who plays Glinda on _Wicked_! To say she was star-stuck would be the understatement of the century.

"Rach, I'm glad you're up! I'd like you to meet my—"

"Oh my God, you're Sasha Montgomery! You're amazing! I love you in _Wicked_ and I—" Rachel rambled excitedly before realizing she probably sounded like a crazed fan. She felt her face heat up and inched closer to her mother in an effort to hide behind the woman.

Shelby smiled and reached around to bring Rachel out in front of her. She rubbed the girl's back to comfort her as she said, "Rach, this is my best friend, Sasha. Sasha, this is my baby girl."

Sasha stood up and took a step towards Rachel, smiling warmly at the girl. "I've heard so much about you, Rachel," she said.

"Y-You have?" Rachel asked.

"Of course! Your mom tells me everything," said Sasha.

Before Rachel could respond, Sasha enveloped the girl in a bone-crushing hug, lifting her up off her feet and swinging her back and forth slightly.

"Jeez, Sash! Don't break my kid before I've really gotten to enjoy her!" Shelby laughed.

Sasha set Rachel back on her feet, planting a big wet kiss to her cheek and squeezing her once more before letting her go. "I'm so happy to finally meet you, Rach!" she said, smiling down at the girl who was staring at her with wide eyes, touching the spot on her cheek she had just kissed.

Rachel couldn't move. Sasha Montgomery just kissed her cheek! She really wanted to ask for an autograph, but wasn't sure how to do that…She couldn't remember how to speak at the moment.

"Aunt Sasha can be a bit much at first. You'll get used to it," Shelby said to Rachel, her eyes twinkling impishly at her friend. She smiled as she watched Sasha melt at the title.

Rachel glanced back and forth from her mother to Sasha, not sure what to do. She was really expected to call Sasha Montgomery "aunt"? That was…absolutely _amazing_! The girl reached over to pinch her arm to see if she was dreaming. Nope, that definitely hurt!

Shelby rolled her eyes at Rachel's dramatics and sent the girl off towards the living room. She and Sasha followed a few minutes later, each carrying a steaming cup of coffee.

By the time nine o'clock rolled around, Rachel was acting perfectly normally around her Aunt Sasha. It wasn't hard to do once her mom and Sasha settled her down between them on the sofa and they all watched the rest of _My Best Friend's Wedding_ together. Shelby and Sasha joked and told Rachel stories of their college years, making their way on Broadway, and stories from their time on _Wicked_ together. Rachel sat transfixed, holding onto their every word, soaking it all in. Then when her mother told Aunt Sasha about Rachel's singing, of course Aunt Sasha wanted her own personal concert. That was when Shelby showed Rachel what was in her office and she didn't ever want to leave that room _ever_ again.

"C'mon Rach, you can sing later. Let's say goodbye to Aunt Sasha so we can get ready for bed! We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow!" Shelby said, having to practically carry the girl away from the piano.

"Aw, Mom, just one more song!" Rachel whined as her mom ushered her towards the hallway.

"We'll have plenty of other opportunities while we're here to hang out with Sasha and have mini concerts. The neighbors are probably ready to call the cops on us. Let's give us all a rest for the night," Shelby replied, pulling the door to her office shut firmly behind her as she led Rachel to the living room. "Sash, I had a wonderful time. Thank you so much for visiting today!"

"It was my pleasure! I just couldn't wait any longer to see you or my adorable niece!" Sasha replied, pulling Rachel into her arms for a hug goodbye. She kissed her head several times before turning to hug and kiss Shelby goodbye. "I'll see you both bright and early tomorrow! Goodnight!"

"Night Sash. Let me know when you got home, so I know you're safe!" Shelby said, walking her friend to the door.

When Shelby turned away from the door after locking it, she was met with a very dramatic pout from her fourteen-year-old. "Little girl, I _invented_ that face, so that won't work on me. It's time we start settling down for the night," she said, ignoring Rachel's whine.

"Please, just one more?" Rachel begged, sticking her lower lip out even further.

"Absolutely," Shelby said, watching as Rachel's face lit up. "Not." And then it fell.

"But _Mooom_!" Rachel whined, stomping her foot in her frustration. She slumped her shoulders and quickly cast her eyes to the floor at her mother's warning glance. She had even raised her left eyebrow, and Rachel was beginning to learn that nothing good ever followed that.

Shelby shook her head at her daughter's antics. The girl was definitely spirited. That was going to get her into trouble if she didn't learn to control it better, however. Sighing, Shelby took the two steps towards her daughter and grabbed her right arm, turning her towards the bedroom. "Go change into your pajamas," she ordered, popping her solidly on her bottom once.

Rachel whimpered slightly at the swat her mom gave her, and quickly turned to wrap her arms around her mother's waist. She figured buttering her up a bit would be a good idea at this point. "I love you, Mommy," Rachel said, looking up and smiling innocently at the woman.

Shelby smiled and scrunched her face at her daughter. "I love you too, you little brat," she said, placing a kiss to Rachel's forehead. "Now go change. We can watch TV for a bit before bed."

Rachel returned moments later once again dressed in Shelby's NYU shirt that was far too big for her.

"You know I washed all of your clothes today, sweetie. I have all of your pajamas folded on top of the dresser. Didn't you see them?" Shelby said as Rachel came to sit next to her on the sofa.

"I know. I like this shirt though…It smells like you," Rachel said simply, grabbing at the collar and bringing it up to her nose.

Shelby smiled and pulled her daughter closer so she could kiss her head. "Well then, the shirt's all yours. I have plenty," she replied.

Rachel smiled broadly, making Shelby's heart flutter happily. She was glad even the simplest things could make her daughter so happy.

 **Open Arms * Open Arms * Open Arms**

By eight o'clock on Sunday morning, Rachel and Shelby were on their way to Gershwin Theatre with Tom and Josh. The play wasn't going to start until two, but Shelby wanted to get there early so she could give Rachel a tour of the theatre and practice a bit before it all began. She had been gone for a week, and while she knew all of her lines, she wanted time to get back into her groove. And Shelby thought Rachel would like to see her practice anyway. She had a feeling the girl would want to sing a few of the songs along with her, which was just fine with Shelby.

Mother and daughter had sung _Defying Gravity_ together the night before while Sasha played on the piano. Rachel's voice was just breathtaking, and Shelby would be happy to listen to her baby sing to her for the rest of her life and be perfectly content. Shelby actually wanted to run an idea past Joe, the director, for her announcement after the show.

Rachel was dressed in a plain white polo and blue denim skirt, but her mother had a dress for her to change into for later. It was in the box of clothes her fathers had sent over. Turns out, Shelby had asked them for some of Rachel's more formal dresses for the their time in New York.

"Mom, when are you going to take me out to see all of New York?" Rachel asked as she leaned across her mother to look out the window of the cab.

She was amazed at how tall all the buildings were. And there were so many people! They all walked with a purpose. Rachel couldn't wait until she lived in New York for real, going to college and pursuing her dreams.

"I want to see _everything_! I really want to go to Central Park. Oh Mom, can we do that today?"

"Sit back, Rach," Shelby said, trying to get her daughter to return to sitting upright. The girl was only wearing the lap buckle because she was squished in the middle of the backseat between her and Josh. Shelby didn't want her moving around so much, just in case they got into an accident. "I'll take you to see whatever you want to see next week, after I finish my scheduled shows. My last one is a matinee on Saturday. As for the park, I don't think we'll go today, Rach, but some time this week. I promise."

"I want to see the Empire State Building! Oh, and the Statue of Liberty! Maybe we can walk around Times Square some too. Can we, Mom? Please?" Rachel rattled on excitedly.

Shelby caught Josh's eye and couldn't help but smile. "Yes baby, we can do all of that, I promise. Next week. I'll have to talk to Jackie—"

"Your publicist? Why?" Rachel asked, again trying to see out of the window. Shelby pushed her up once more.

"Yes, Jackie is my publicist. Because I have to accept interviews from a few talk shows," Shelby replied.

"Can I come with you when you go? I'd love to see what an interview is like!" Rachel said, bouncing in her seat in her excitement.

"Rachel, sit still! And yes, you'll be coming with me. They're going to want to interview the both of us," Shelby said, finally deciding to put her arm around her child and hold her close.

"Really? I'm going to be on tv with you?" asked Rachel, staring at her mom in awe. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Yes. I haven't decided which ones I'll accept yet. That's why I have to speak with Jackie. I'll probably do that later today, actually. She may come over so we can do it all in person. You'll get a chance to meet her for longer than a few minutes," Shelby replied, happy that the cab was pulling up outside the theatre.

Fifteen minutes later, Shelby had introduced Rachel to Joe and a few of the stagehands and was now getting her settled in her dressing room. Sasha had texted her telling her she was on her way, so Shelby thought it would be a good time to try to get Rach to eat a little something while they waited. Shelby had only been able to get the girl to sit still long enough to eat a half a piece of toast before she was bouncing all over the apartment, talking animatedly about the day's upcoming events.

 **Open Arms * Open Arms * Open Arms**

Rachel sat in apt attention, watching as makeup artist Jessica painted her mother green. It was amazing watching her work—it truly was an art form. Right in front of her eyes, her mother was turning into Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. Rachel was getting impatient for the show to start—she wanted to see it so bad. She was dying to see her mother in action.

Rachel got to see a glimpse of her mother getting into character during her morning practice with Aunt Sasha. It was even better than last night in Shelby's office. They let Rachel join in for some of the songs—because, of course, Rachel knew them all by heart. Some of the other actors sat around to watch as Shelby sang with her daughter; they all clapped at the end. The director even came over to compliment Rachel on her talent and told Shelby she should be very proud of her daughter. Rachel beamed when Shelby told Joe she couldn't be prouder.

Putting on the makeup took close to an hour to complete. Rachel was getting antsy. "Mom, can I go walk around?" she asked, bouncing her foot to try to get rid of some of her pent up energy.

Shelby looked over at the teen. She didn't think it was a good idea for her to go wandering off in her current state—she was bound to get into some kind of trouble. No, Shelby wanted to keep her right where she could keep an eye on her at all times.

"You can stay right here. You can change into your dress awhile if you'd like. We're almost done here and then Tom and Josh are going to take you to your seats," Shelby replied.

"But Mom, I won't go very far. I can go see Aunt Sasha in her dressing room!" Rachel said. She just wanted to get up and move. She wanted to see all the action; she could hear shouts and lots of talking outside Shelby's closed door and she wanted to be apart of that.

"Aunt Sasha is doing the exact same thing I am, sweetheart," Shelby said, sighing. Jessica caught her eye and smiled broadly; she knew how these sorts of things went, having two children herself.

"Mom!" Rachel whined.

Shelby caught her daughter's eye in the mirror and lifted a carefully crafted black eyebrow, causing Rachel to shrink down in her seat. "Your dress is hanging up on the back of the bathroom door. Go in there and change, please," Shelby said, leaving no room for argument.

Rachel gulped at her mother's stern voice and the look she was still getting. Her mom was even scarier when she was green! Nodding quickly, Rachel hopped off the sofa and dashed into the bathroom.

"She's quite a firecracker, isn't she?" Tom commented from the table in the corner where he and Josh were playing a game of gin rummy.

When Rachel came out of the bathroom ten minutes later, Shelby was finished with makeup and Becca had just come in, bringing in her costume.

"Oh Rachel," Shelby said in awe at the sight of her daughter. "You look beautiful."

Rachel was wearing a very pretty sleeveless red dress that stopped just above her knees. A thin black belt was fastened at her waist, and she paired it with cute black ballet flats. She smiled at her mom's compliment.

Shelby went over to her purse, which was sitting on the coffee table and rummaged through it for a moment until she pulled out a small black box. She turned and held it out for her daughter. Rachel glanced up at her and then back at the box. "Well come open it, silly," Shelby said, chuckling softly.

Rachel made her way over to her mother and took the little velvet box from her. She opened it carefully and gasped when she saw what was inside: a small gold star necklace. "Mom…it's beautiful!" she said, looking up at her mom once again.

"Your grandparents gave this to me before my Broadway debut…I thought you might like to have it," Shelby said, holding her hand out for the box.

Rachel handed it over without a word and watched as her mom carefully took the necklace from it. Shelby made a little motion with her finger so Rachel would turn, and she did so, holding her hair up and away from her neck as she did. Shelby fastened the necklace and turned Rachel around by her shoulders.

Rachel reached her hand up to touch the necklace as soon as her mom began to put it on her. She still had her first two fingers feeling it when her mother turned her back around. She let her hand fall and stared into her mom's hazel eyes with watery eyes of her own.

"Thank you," she said thickly. She went to wrap her arms around her mother but stopped herself; she didn't want to ruin her mother's makeup.

Shelby noticed Rachel's hesitation and pulled the girl to her. The stuff they put on her would only come off with soap and water, so there was no danger of Rachel accidentally rubbing it off. She gently kissed Rachel's head so as to not smudge her makeup and then let go. She really did need to finish getting ready.

 **Open Arms * Open Arms * Open Arms**

Rachel was standing and clapping along with everyone else at the end of the play, tears making their way down her face. She clapped until she thought her hands would fall off. She clapped especially loud for her mother and Aunt Sasha. They were both taking their last turn bowing.

The curtain closed for the final time and Rachel turned to Josh and Tom expectantly. She wanted to get back to see her mom as fast as she could. She didn't care if the two bodyguards had to plow their way through the throng of people; she wanted to get back there _now_! The clapping was just starting to die down, but the lights weren't coming back on, which was strange. All of a sudden, the curtains came back up and her mother was walking back onto center stage.

Shelby looked out at the sea of people, all clapping and cheering for her. She stared out into the middle of the third row and saw her daughter clapping and jumping up and down, a huge smile plastered on her face. Shelby felt her heart soar as she raised her left hand to wave at the audience. The audience got louder.

"Hello everyone!" Shelby spoke, waiting until the din had quieted down to merely whispers. She heard someone cough. "I hope you all enjoyed the performance." More cheers.

"I have an announcement to make. As I'm sure some of you have heard, I have just been reunited with my daughter," Shelby continued. She paused while the audience clapped. She smiled broadly and nodded, signaling for them to quiet down. "My dream has always been Broadway. I love acting—it is my true calling in life. Well…until I received the call regarding my daughter. She is the most important person in my life…my biggest accomplishment. She's my dream now."

Rachel listened to her mother's words, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. Her mom had told her those things before, but now she was standing in front of a packed theatre house, telling thousands of strangers it as well. Rachel was her dream.

"To do what is best for my daughter, I am retiring from Broadway and moving back home so that I can raise her properly, away from the spotlight," said Shelby. She heard a mixture of disappointed groans and adoring "awws". "Now, I'd like to introduce you to my daughter, and if you all don't mind…I'd like to perform a song for you all, with the help of my little girl. Rachel, would you come up here, baby?"

Rachel sat stunned. She hadn't heard that right. She couldn't possibly have heard that right. She was dreaming. Had her mother really just asked her to come up on stage to sing a song with her, in front of a huge audience, at Gershwin Theatre?

"Well get up there, kid!" Josh said, shaking Rachel out of her stupor. He helped Rachel stand and then guided her through the row of people.

Rachel was at the stairs leading to the stage and she couldn't remember how to walk up the steps. _Oh God, please don't let me trip_ , she silently prayed, taking a deep breath. She made it over to her mother as if in a daze.

Shelby watched as her daughter made her way to stage. Her heart was racing. She had spoken to Joe earlier and he had been more than willing to allow Shelby to announce her retirement any way she wished. He thought having Rachel sing with her had been a brilliant idea; he had been stunned when he heard such a big, powerful, beautiful voice come out of the small teen earlier.

As soon as Rachel's foot hit the stage, Shelby was making her way to her child. When she reached her, she pulled the girl in a big hug, lifting her off the ground and spinning her around once. The crowd exploded in cheers. One of the stagehands ran out and tapped Shelby on the shoulder, handing her a microphone for Rachel.

Rachel took the mic from her mother and waited for her next move. Her mom held her hand out and Rachel took it, letting her mother lead her back to the center of the stage.

" _Defying Gravity_ is my favorite song from this musical, and I'd like to sing that now with my Rachel. Rachel, are you ready?" Shelby said, her eyes never leaving her daughter's. Rachel nodded excitedly.

The orchestra began playing and Shelby began to sing.

 _Something has changed within me  
Something is not the same  
I'm through with playing by the rules of someone else's game_

Shelby nodded at Rachel and the girl took over.

 _Too late for second guessing  
Too late to go back to sleep  
It's time to trust my instincts  
Close my eyes and leap_

The crowd roared. Rachel hardly even heard it. She blocked everything out and was just focusing on her mother. It was just like she was back singing in their apartment. Nothing else mattered. Only her.

Shelby was floating on Cloud 9. It was an amazing feeling to be up here on stage, her favorite place in the world, with her daughter, the most important person in the world. It truly was her dream come true. Shelby knew without a doubt that leaving Broadway was the right decision for Rachel. Yes, she would miss it, but this moment right now would make it all worthwhile.

Shelby sang the next verse, never taking her eyes off Rachel. This part was for her especially.

 _Unlimited  
Together we're unlimited  
Together we'll be the greatest team  
There's ever been  
Rachel  
Dreams the way we planned 'em_

Rachel sung Glinda's response before they both joined in again.

 _If we work in tandem_

 _There's no fight we cannot win  
Just you and I  
Defying gravity  
With you and I  
Defying gravity  
With you and I  
Defying gravity_

Shelby grabbed Rachel's hand and held tight. She could feel tears making their way now her face. It was probably ruining her eye makeup, but she didn't care. She didn't care if she cried all the green right off of her face.

 _So if you care to find me  
Look to the western sky  
As someone told me lately:  
_" _Everyone deserves the chance to fly"_

Shelby took a breath while Rachel took the next part. Her daughter was amazing. Shelby was so proud of her little girl in this moment. Here she was, fourteen years old, on a Broadway stage, singing to thousands of strangers. She was a natural!

Shelby joined her daughter for the chorus again and then her heart soared as Rachel took over again.

 _And nobody in all of Oz  
No Wizard that there is or was  
Is ever gonna bring me down!  
Bring me down!  
Oh ahh ahhh!_

Rachel hit the notes perfectly, sending chills up and down Shelby's spine. She watched as her daughter finished, her arms stretched out wide, Rachel's head held back, the microphone held above her. The girl definitely knew how to command an audience.

As soon as Rachel's note faded out, the audience was on their feet, cheering, clapping, and stomping their feet. They were louder than Shelby had ever head an audience be. And it was all for her baby. She watched as Rachel bowed and waved. Her kid truly was a natural.

"I'm so proud of you!" Shelby yelled to be heard, as she pulled Rachel in for a long hug. The audience's cheers became even louder, if that was even possible.

Rachel's heart was beating excitedly. She gave several more bows along with her mother before the curtains closed for the final time. She turned to her mom, a huge smile on her face. She was never going to forget this moment, not ever.

* * *

 **Chapter 6 is done, but I'd like to wait until I'm finished with 7 before posting. The next chapter will be the biggest change so far. There's a few new scenes involved, including what Rachel gets up to in Central Park while Shelby is at home worrying. Chapter 7 will also be a big change, focusing on the consequences of Rachel's adventure.**

 **I've posted a few sneak peaks of chapter 6 on my tumblr (search DARecruit). I'll continue to post updates as I go, both on here and tumblr. Check it out!**


	6. Defying Boundaries

**Hello Readers, and Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you enjoy this new (old) chapter. The first part will be more familiar if you've read the original, but the rest is brand new!**

* * *

 **Chapter Six: Defying Boundaries**

"That was amazing, kiddo!" Sasha gushed, running over to the girl and pulling her into a big hug. " _You_ were amazing!"

"You were wonderful!" said William, the actor who plays Fiyero. He came and patted Rachel on the back before hugging Shelby. "We're going to miss you here."

More of the crew and actors came to congratulate Shelby and Rachel on their performance, offering well wishes and hugs aplenty.

"C'mon Rach, let's get back to my dressing room. I want to get cleaned up," Shelby said once she had spoken to everyone off stage. She took Rachel's hand and led her daughter back to her room.

"Mom, that was amazing! All the people…I was on stage, Mom! I really did it!" Rachel rambled as she walked, tripping over her own feet in her excitement.

"Be careful! And yes, you certainly did! You were incredible. I'm so proud of you, sweetheart," Shelby replied, smiling.

"We should go out and celebrate, Mom! You, Aunt Sasha, and me! Let's go to dinner or something. Can we?" Rachel said as her mom ushered her into the dressing room.

"I don't think that's going to work out today, Rach, but we can ask Aunt Sasha if she wants to come have dinner with us back home," Shelby replied, smiling sadly at Rachel's crestfallen pout.

"Mom please, it's just dinner," Rachel begged, her lower lip sticking out.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. I promise I'll take you out to dinner before we head back to Ohio. We'll have a nice girls' night in—it'll be fun, I promise," Shelby said gently.

"But Mom, we haven't been out of the apartment all weekend!" Rachel whined, her pout becoming even more obvious.

"Rach, we've been at the theatre all day," Shelby pointed out.

"That's not what I mean! I want to see New York. Mom, please!" Rachel whined, stomping her foot. She crossed her arms across her chest and let out a loud sigh, looking forlornly at her mother.

"I know you do, sweetheart. And I promise I'll take you to see every bit of New York next week. I don't think we've got time this week. I've still got six more shows, and I need to sit down and figure out what interviews we will be doing. I want to get all of that out of the way so that you and I can spend all next week relaxing and doing what _you_ want, baby. I don't want anything to get in the way next week," Shelby said, pulling her daughter in for a hug.

Rachel melted into her mother, sighing sadly. Her mom had already told her in the cab earlier that they'd go sightseeing next week. Rachel was just getting impatient. She had always wanted to visit New York, and now she was here and stuck inside.

Rachel didn't mind all the quiet time she had been spending with her mom—it was quite nice, actually—but now that she was feeling a bit more comfortable with Shelby, she wanted to go explore the Big Apple. There was so much to see, and Rachel wanted to see every square inch of it before they went back to Ohio in two weeks.

 **Open Arms * Open Arms * Open Arms**

The next few days seemed to fly by, and Shelby felt like a chicken running around with its head cut off. Between shows, packing, the many phone calls with Jackie, and keeping Rachel entertained, Shelby was exhausted.

Shelby was immensely thankful for all of Sasha's help, but even with the extra pair of hands, she wanted nothing more than for Saturday to come so that she could be finished with her very last performance on _Wicked_. It was bittersweet for her. Shelby was going to miss the stage very much, along with all the amazing people she got to work with, but she was also looking forward to her next chapter with Rachel.

Shelby spent most of Monday packing up clothes and other things she wanted to take back to Ohio while Sasha was keeping Rachel occupied with stories in the living room. She had already decided that she would keep the apartment in the city so she and Rachel could visit when they wanted. The only large furniture going back home would be the piano in the office and the tall bookshelf holding all of Shelby's music books. She saw no reason to leave those behind where she couldn't use them.

Tuesday morning, Shelby and Sasha took Rachel to Times Square along with Tom and Josh so that the girl could get out for a bit. Shelby did feel bad that Rachel had to stay inside so much. It wasn't fair to her daughter that she couldn't do all the normal things other kids her age could do with their mothers just because her mother was a huge Broadway star and was being followed around by dozens of paparazzi.

Rachel seemed to have really enjoyed herself at Times Square, and Shelby even let the girl drag her into several of the tourist shops where she bought her a few souvenirs.

By Wednesday morning, Rachel was bouncing around the apartment, waiting impatiently for the interviewer and photographer from _People Magazine_ to show up. Shelby had also agreed to a segment on _Live with Regis and Kelly_ on Friday morning. Jackie had wanted Shelby to accept two other interviews, but Shelby remained firm saying she wanted to keep Rachel out of the public's eye as much as possible. She had to do a few interviews because that was inevitable, but two were more than enough. If the media didn't like it, well tough!

The interview with _People_ had gone well. The interviewer had turned out to be a young woman, no more than twenty-six, who was a huge fan of Shelby's. She was sweet and focused on Shelby and Rachel's reunion, keeping Rachel's fathers out of it altogether. She asked Rachel how she liked New York so far and went into great detail about Rachel singing on stage with Shelby on Sunday.

Rachel was eating up the attention. She answered all of the questions like a pro and was completely in her element when the photographer started taking pictures. He had taken dozens of candid shots of mother and daughter as they were giving their interviews, but then had them pose for some. He even had them go into the office so that he could get some shots of them at the piano together.

By the time they left, Shelby and Rachel had about an hour before they had to get to the theatre. Shelby had been happy to see them leave, but Rachel seemed to deflate once they did. That was another reason Shelby had only wanted to do a few interviews; she didn't want Rachel getting too used to all the media. She still wanted her daughter to have a regular childhood. There was plenty of time when Rachel was older to become famous.

Thursday rolled around and Shelby was surprised by how smoothly her day was going. So far, this week had been hectic and something had gone wrong every day. Today had been perfect. She was now in the bathroom of her dressing room, taking a shower to wash all the green off of her. Rachel was waiting on the sofa just outside and then they would meet up with Sasha. Shelby had decided that she would take Rachel out for dinner tonight.

Meanwhile, Rachel was sitting on the sofa, bouncing her foot impatiently. She was bored and wanted to get up and move. Her mom always took ages in the shower every night after the show because of all the makeup and paint or whatever they covered her in to turn her into the Witch. Tapping her fingers against her leg, Rachel looked at the closed door of the bathroom and then the closed door to the dressing room. She could go visit Aunt Sasha while her mom was in the shower, couldn't she? Her mom wouldn't mind, and she'd be with Aunt Sasha!

Rachel stood and after one last glance at the bathroom door, went off in search of her aunt. She found Sasha just coming out of her own bathroom when she entered her dressing room a few doors down.

"Hey kiddo!" Sasha greeted warmly, smiling at her niece. "Why aren't you with your mom?"

"Oh…uh…It's fine for me to be here," Rachel said. It wasn't technically a lie. It _was_ fine for her to be here—her mom let her visit with her Aunt Sasha in her dressing room all the time. "I mean…if you're okay with it?" she added.

"Of course I'm okay with it, silly! Let me just get dressed and then what do you say to you and me going to check out the cool t-shirts? I'll buy you one!" Sasha said. She laughed when Rachel nodded enthusiastically.

Ten minutes later, Sasha and Rachel were heading out to the front of the theatre where the vendors were. The play had ended forty minutes ago, so the majority of the audience had left, but there were still a few stragglers. Sasha stopped to sign autographs for whoever asked. Rachel was even asked by a few people for autographs as well.

"I-I'm not in the play," Rachel said timidly to the first person who asked her, thinking she had her confused for someone else.

"But you're Shelby Corcoran's daughter. I saw you sing on stage with your mom on Sunday. You were wonderful," the woman said. "Please sign my _Playbill_ for me."

"Uh…w-who should I make it out to?" Rachel asked.

"Stephanie," the woman said, smiling excitedly.

Rachel took the _Playbill_ and pen that the woman offered her and wrote: _To my friend Stephanie, Love Rachel Corcoran_. Smiling, she handed it back to the woman. "Thank you," she said.

Sasha watched in amusement as Rachel gave her first autograph and then thanked the woman for letting her sign it. She signed the woman's _Playbill_ next and then stood with her and Rachel for a photo.

Twenty minutes later, Sasha and Rachel made their way back to Shelby's dressing room. Rachel was carrying a large bag with several _Wicked_ shirts, a hoodie, and two pairs of socks inside. The girl had been so excited for all of the merchandise, Sasha just couldn't say no. Besides, it was the first time she had ever been able to buy anything for her niece, and she wanted to spoil her some. She had big plans on becoming Rachel's favorite aunt.

Finally green-free, Shelby turned the water off and grabbed her fluffy towel to dry off. As much as she loved being Elphaba, she would not miss having to spend at least a half hour every night washing her off.

"Okay Rach, I'm almost ready. I just need to get dressed and—"

Shelby was surprised to find the dressing room completely empty when she stepped out. Where was her daughter? Thinking that the girl was playing a trick on her, Shelby looked behind the sofa to see if she was hiding there. Nope. Shelby tried the closet—still no Rachel.

Shelby quickly dressed and opened her door. "Rachel?" she called out. She saw a few stagehands milling about. "Hey, have any of you seen Rachel?" she asked.

"Nope, sorry Shel! We'll keep an eye out for her though," Mike said as he passed.

"Thanks," Shelby mumbled, going to grab her phone. She quickly texted Tom and Josh to see if Rachel was with either of them. They both responded saying no, but they would start looking for her.

Shelby was just turning to go search for Rachel herself when her daughter came walking in with Sasha, carrying a _Wicked_ bag with her.

"Rachel! Where have you been?"

"Shelby, what's wrong?" Sasha asked, bewildered.

"I get out of the shower expecting to find my daughter waiting for me, only to find my dressing room empty!" Shelby said angrily, glaring at her daughter.

"Mom, I didn't think you'd mind," Rachel defended.

"Of course I mind, Rachel, I had no idea where you were," Shelby scolded.

"Rachel, you told me your mom gave you permission to be with me!" Sasha said, turning to the young teen.

"Rachel Barbra, you lied to your aunt?" Shelby exclaimed.

Rachel looked back and forth from the two angry women towering over her. She tried to back away as her mother began advancing on her, but the woman was too quick. Shelby's fingers closed around Rachel's arm and she pulled the girl towards her.

"It wasn't a lie!" Rachel protested. " _Technically_ , I told Aunt Sasha it was fine for me to be there as long as it was okay with her."

Shelby shook her head and before Rachel could say anything more, had the teen bent at the waist and tucked under her right arm.

"You can't just wander off whenever you want to, young lady. And you most _certainly_ cannot tell your aunt I allowed something when I didn't even know about it!" the mother scolded sternly as her hand made contact with her daughter's bottom.

"Ow!" Rachel gasped.

"You are never to go anywhere without me knowing where you are and who you're with, do you understand?" Shelby scolded, her hand descending in quick succession.

"Ah! Y-ye—Ouch! Yes, ma'am!"

"Oh, and Rachel—" Shelby paused to land another swat, "—Just so you know, letting someone believe something that isn't true is a lie in my book."

"Ow! I-I'm sorry!" Rachel yelped, blinking back tears.

"Don't you scare me like that ever again!" Shelby scolded, landing a final two spanks onto her daughter's smarting backside.

"Oh, ow, Mom! I promise!"

A hand shot back to block any more swats, but her mother had already let her go. Rachel rubbed at the sting as she straightened and turned towards her mom, red-faced and feeling very chastised.

Shelby's hands found their way to her hips as she leveled her daughter with a stern gaze. Rachel could feel her mother's eyes on her and squirmed uncomfortably.

"I really am sorry, Mommy," Rachel said sadly, meeting her mother's eyes briefly before lowering them to the ground.

The minute Rachel's big brown eyes met Shelby's, all of Shelby's annoyance dissipated. Poof. Part of her knew that Rachel had just played her, but the larger part just couldn't stay angry at that sweet face.

"Oh come here, you little brat," Shelby said, opening her arms.

Rachel needn't be told twice and rushed over to cling to the woman. Shelby wrapped her arms around the girl tightly and kissed her head. The two stayed like that for a moment before Shelby pulled back.

"Apologize to your aunt now, Rachel," Shelby said.

Rachel stepped towards her Aunt Sasha, feeling her face heat up. She had forgotten the woman was in the room and was embarrassed when she realized Sasha had witnessed everything that had just happened.

Rachel kept her eyes cast downward until she was about a foot away from her aunt. She looked up into her aunt's green eyes. She didn't look nearly as angry as her mother, but she did look annoyed.

"I-I'm sorry I lied to you, Aunt Sasha," she said quietly, hanging her head.

"Rachel," Sasha said gently, waiting until the girl looked back up at her. "I love you, and I'm looking forward to being the fun, cool aunt. I won't be able to do that if you lie to me. I won't be able to trust you."

"I'm sorry, Aunt Sasha! Are you…do you not want to be my aunt anymore?" Rachel said sadly.

She felt tears begin to fall and she quickly brushed them away. She didn't want Sasha to not trust her and feel like she couldn't be her aunt. And if Sasha didn't want to be her aunt, what if that made Shelby not want to be her mom?

Sasha looked at Shelby guiltily. She hadn't meant to make the poor kid cry! She just wanted to get across that it wasn't cool to lie. She didn't have any kids, and didn't know how to scold them properly! Crap. She just broke Rachel!

"Of course Aunt Sasha still wants to be your aunt, Rachel," Shelby said gently, motioning for Sasha to hug Rachel.

Sasha quickly pushed her own thoughts aside and pulled the girl into her arms. "I'm always going to be your aunt, kiddo. I love you, Rach," she said, kissing Rachel's head.

"I'm really sorry, Aunt Sasha," Rachel cried into her aunt's shoulder.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," Sasha soothed, rubbing Rachel's back. "Don't cry, Rach. It's all over." She continued to hold Rachel until the girl's cries turned to hiccups.

"Alright, well I think it's time we get home now. It's been a long day," Shelby said.

"Home? But Mom…I thought we were going out to dinner with Aunt Sasha," Rachel said, confused. It had been planned since Monday night. Rachel had really been looking forward to going out to dinner tonight.

"That was before your little Houdini act," Shelby replied sternly.

"I thought I was forgiven?" Rachel asked. She really wanted to go out to dinner.

"You are, Rach, but that doesn't mean you get away without any punishment. So we're going home tonight instead of going to a restaurant. We can go out on Saturday if you behave yourself," Shelby said.

"But Mom, that's not fair," Rachel whined.

"Would you prefer a spanking? Because I can turn you over my knee if you want to go to the restaurant instead," Shelby said, looming over her child. She raised her eyebrow, daring the girl to argue any more.

Rachel gulped and shook her head vehemently. "No!" she said, taking an involuntary step back. Rachel was still sore from the few swats her mother had already given her and wasn't looking for the full performance.

"That's what I thought. Now get your things and let's go find the boys," Shelby said. "Sasha, you are more than welcome to come have dinner at home with us. I know this ruins your dinner plans now too."

Sasha watched the interaction between mother and child apprehensively. She couldn't believe how brave Rachel was! If Shelby had been looking at _her_ that way, she'd be taking off in the other direction. Not Rachel, no, she actually started to _whine_! Sasha felt her belly do a little flip when Shelby asked Rachel if she'd prefer a spanking instead. She breathed a sigh of relief when Rachel wised up and backed off. Sasha was definitely going to have to have a little chat with her niece about something called "survival instinct". The girl clearly didn't have it!

"Sure, that's fine," Sasha said, smiling.

Rachel cautiously walked by her mother, shielding her bottom with her hands in case her mom got any ideas to swat her any more. Shelby just shook her head at her daughter's actions. She knew that move—she had done it plenty of times herself as a teen when her own mother was upset with her about something. Shelby wasn't planning on swatting any more tonight as long as Rachel behaved herself, but she wasn't going to tell her daughter that.

 **Open Arms * Open Arms * Open Arms**

Shelby sat at the dining room table Sunday morning drinking her coffee and going through emails. She received one from Lauren telling her everything went through fine with the house and it was ready to move into, as well as reminding her to look through the paint samples book that Lauren sent. Shelby's family was amazing—they offered to have painters come paint the house while she and Rachel were still in New York so that it'd be finished when they returned home. Shelby just had to sit down and start choosing colors. Perhaps she'd do that today with Rachel.

Rachel had been wired the past two days. She had remained subdued for the rest of Thursday evening, but Friday morning the girl woke up with renewed energy. She was excited to go to the set for _Regis and Kelly_ , and talked Shelby's ear off the whole way there. Shelby didn't mind; she thoroughly enjoyed Rachel's excited chatter.

By the time they made it on set, Rachel could hardly contain her excitement and kept having to be told to sit still while she got her hair and makeup done. She wore a pink sleeveless dress embroidered with small lace flowers, an ivory braided belt secured at the waist, and cute coral-colored ballet flats.

Shelby just rolled her eyes good-naturally at the makeup artist who smiled warmly at her. She had already finished with Shelby, who was now just sitting in the chair watching her daughter be made up. She was wearing a pretty purple halter dress that flowed when she walked. She paired it with her favorite black patent leather pumps with the red soles.

The interview went well, and Kelly absolutely loved Rachel. She couldn't stop gushing over her after the interview. Shelby and Rachel had sung _Defying Gravity_ at the end, causing the audience to erupt in applause. Kelly ran over to mother and daughter at the end with tears in her eyes, and even Regis seemed to be a little misty eyed.

Rachel was still riding off of her adrenaline rush when Shelby and her made it to the theatre later that day. She decided to stay backstage for that particular show; Shelby had been letting her decide each day if she wanted to go watch in the audience or stay backstage. Rachel had already seen the play from the audience a few times, and she liked seeing the hustle and bustle off stage. She had to promise to stay out of the way and not wander off, but that wasn't an issue. She didn't want to miss a minute of the action.

Rachel was still a bundle of energy all through Saturday. Shelby's last show had been emotional. The audience gave her several standing ovations throughout, and she could hear crying interwoven with the cheers at the very end.

The whole cast went out to dinner that night to celebrate. Rachel was excited because she had been looking forward to going out since the start of the week. She had been disappointed when Shelby punished her on Thursday night, but had since gotten over it. The entire cast had fallen in love with the little spitfire and Rachel spent the whole dinner entertaining them all.

When Rachel and Shelby finally made it into the apartment last night, it was well past midnight. Shelby was exhausted, but Rachel wanted to stay up. Shelby managed to convince the girl to take a shower and then somehow talked her into lying in bed. She rubbed Rachel's back until the girl fell into a deep sleep. With a deep sigh, Shelby quickly followed her daughter into dreamland.

Shelby was on her second cup of coffee by the time Rachel strolled out of the bedroom, her hair all over the place.

"Morning, Mom," she sighed, stretching her arms up above her.

"Morning, sweetheart. Did you sleep well?" Shelby said, smiling. She looked at the clock on the wall. It was already eleven o'clock. Rachel was getting better at sleeping in, especially when she stayed up extra late at night. She'd still have mornings where she wanted to get up earlier, and Shelby had started allowing her to. She decided she would pick her battles, and if Rachel wanted to get up some mornings at six-thirty, she could—though it normally meant she took a nap in the afternoon.

"Yeah. Mom, can we go to Central Park today?" Rachel asked as she took a seat across from her mother.

"Rach, you know I'm taking you tomorrow. We planned a whole day, remember?" Shelby said, closing her laptop so she could focus on the teen. She had only been surfing the internet anyway.

"I know, but I thought maybe we could go today," Rachel said, turning her big eyes on her mother.

"Tom and Josh are with their families today, sweetie. I don't want to bother them on their day off," Shelby said gently.

"But Mom, it's only Central Park. We could go by ourselves!" Rachel whined, poking her lower lip out in a pout.

"I wish we could, honey, but it's not safe for us to go out alone right now. I promise you I'll take you anywhere you want to go this coming week, Rach. I just need you to be patient for another day," Shelby said, sighing.

"But—"

"Rachel," Shelby said in warning, and the girl thankfully quieted down.

"I got an email from Aunt LuLu. She misses you and sends her love. And she sent the book of paint samples the other day—I thought we could pick out what colors we want for each room. I know you'll want to choose your bedroom color, but you can help me with the others as well if you'd like."

"I can really paint my room any color I want?" Rachel asked excitedly. She never got to choose the color at her fathers' house. They chose yellow. She didn't mind yellow, but she'd much rather have lavender or a pretty mint green or even a light blue.

"Whatever color you want, baby," Shelby smiled, relieved that she had gotten the girl excited about something other than the park.

Rachel sat on the sofa, flipping through channels. She was bored. She had spent some time looking over the paint books with her mom earlier, but had tired of it quickly. Shelby said they could look at it again another time and had suggested they watch a movie. Rachel chose _Chicago_ , but they had only gotten through half of it before Rachel tired of that as well. Shelby had started with a slight headache, so she went to take some medicine and lay down for a bit.

Rachel sighed and turned off the TV. Shelby had told the girl to entertain herself for a while and to wake her at three if she wasn't up by then. That was thirty minutes ago. She was probably sleeping.

Rachel crept off to the bedroom to check. Sure enough, when she quietly entered the room, her mother was fast asleep. Rachel went over to poke her just to be sure. Yup, she was out.

Already in a tank and shorts, Rachel decided to grab a pair of socks and her tennis shoes before tiptoeing back out into the living room. She found her mother's purse easily enough—it was sitting on one of the dining chairs like usual. She opened up her mom's wallet and took out the first credit card she found and pocketed it. She also took the silver key with the house topper on it and stuck that in her pocket as well.

Rachel was just about to leave when she remembered her mother's scolding from Thursday. She knew she couldn't go off without letting her mom know where she was. The girl quickly found a pad and pen and scribbled out a note to her mom letting her know she went for a run and would be back soon.

The teen reread the note once before placing it on the dining room table. She then made her way quietly to the door, not wanting to wake her mother, and locked it behind her.

Once outside, Rachel made her way confidently towards the street to hail a cab. She saw one further down the street and her arm flew upward, waving excitedly as she bounced on the balls of her feet.

The girl smiled to herself as the car pulled up besides her moments later and she climbed in. The cab driver barely turned in his seat before Rachel was telling him she wanted to go to Central Park.

"You got money, kid?" the driver asked. He wasn't going anywhere until this little girl proved she would be able to pay him.

"Is a credit card okay?" Rachel asked, pulling the card from her pocket. She was careful not to show the man the name on the card as she did so.

"Works for me, kid," the driver replied, facing forward. He shook his head as he forced his way into traffic. Kids these days had everything. Really he shouldn't have been surprised, picking up the teen in this area. No doubt her parents had money.

Rachel stared out of the window in awe at the hustle and bustle of the city. New York City was alive and exciting—the exact opposite of Lima, Ohio.

As Rachel stared out the window, the price of the ride continued to climb. The streets were busier than usual on this mid-Sunday afternoon and the drive that would normally take about twenty minutes was closing in on forty. Of course, it didn't help that the driver was taking advantage of the traffic and had chosen the slowest route possible.

As the cab finally reached its destination, the driver stopped the counter and turned once more to look at the kid in the backseat. "That'll be forty-six fifty-nine, kid," he said in his gruff voice.

Rachel happily swiped the card and said good-bye to the man before jumping out of the cab and joining the crowd of people entering the park. It was a nice day, not too hot, and there was a gentle breeze rustling through the trees. Rachel took off at an easy jog, no destination in mind. She'd let her feet take her where they wanted.

The girl's path took her passed couples sitting close together on benches, children climbing on jungle gyms or running around playing tag, and dozens of families enjoying one another's company. She rounded a bend, hearing the splashing of water up ahead, and in the distance, the sound of music called to her.

Rachel let her feet carry her towards the vibrant melody, finally coming upon a steel drum band. Three men and one woman played and sang songs Rachel had never heard. Their voices, intertwined with the playful harmonies of the drums, were mesmerizing and Rachel forgot all about her run. She found a bench to sit and watch, everything else around her slipping away.

She bobbed her head to the music and was humming along to herself when she felt a sudden tap on her shoulder. She turned and nearly jumped out of her skin at the man and woman standing behind her.

"Are you Rachel Corcoran?" the woman asked, leaning in to be heard over the loud music.

Rachel's heart thumped rapidly inside her chest as her brain worked fast. "W-Who are you?" she yelled back, her voice cracking. How did they know her name?

"You _are!"_ the woman shrieked. "Can I get a photo with you? Pete, take our picture!" she turned to her companion, handing him her phone.

Rachel sat stock still as the woman sat on the bench with her and wrapped an arm over her shoulders. The flash from the phone dazed Rachel as spots appeared before her eyes.

"I can't believe our luck. Thank you, Rachel," said the woman, her eyes now scanning the crowds. "Is your mom around here anywhere? I'd love to get a photo with her!"

"I…I need to go. I've got—uh—somewhere to be," Rachel stammered, jumping to her feet.

She was a yard or so away from the couple when the band finished their song. In the lull, Rachel could hear the woman exclaim, "Can you believe it, Pete? Rachel Corcoran!"

The hair on Rachel's neck stood on end as she felt people begin to stare. Excited shouts erupted all around her as strangers drew nearer. She heard her name being called from every direction, and hands reached towards her as the group jostled to get close. The clicking of cameras and cell phones rose to a crescendo, echoing in Rachel's ears. A hand came to rest on Rachel's shoulder and the girl screamed.

"Easy, kid!" a male's voice eased.

Rachel turned to see a police officer wearing a helmet, his expression kind.

"Show's over, folks," the officer said, breaking up the crowd. "Let's all take a step back and leave the kid alone."

A chorus of groans met the officer's announcement, but the crowd dispersed as quickly as it formed. Rachel's heart rate slowly returned to normal and she smiled gratefully at the officer.

"Thanks," she said as she turned away from him. Maybe it was time for her to get home. She had enough adventure for one day.

"Whoa, hold up! Where are you going?"

Rachel frowned as she looked back to the police officer. "Home, uh…sir," she replied nervously.

"Not alone, you aren't," said the officer. "Do you know why all those people swarmed you like that?"

"My mom is Shelby Corcoran. They were, uh, hoping she was with me."

"Well this makes a whole lot more sense now," the officer sighed, pulling his helmet off and running a hand over his close-cropped hair. "What's your name?"

"Rachel."

"Rachel," the man said, holding his hand out to shake hers, "I'm Officer Stedman. It's nice to meet you."

Officer Stedman led Rachel over to his bicycle, telling her to take a seat on the bench besides it. He spoke into his radio, requesting assistance from the nearest cruiser.

Back at the apartment, Shelby was just rolling over in her bed. Her eyes fluttered opened and she became vaguely aware of the fact that her head was no longer hurting. She blinked the sleep from her eyes and yawned as she sat up, reaching for her phone. It was just before two; Shelby had been asleep for little more than an hour.

Shelby padded to her closed door and opened it, surprised at the extreme quiet that greeted her. She had at least expected to hear the TV on in the living room. Wondering if Rachel was asleep, the mother made her way quietly towards the front room. When she didn't see Rachel on the sofa, Shelby checked in the kitchen before heading towards the office.

"Rach, you in here?" she asked as she poked her head in the room. It was dark and undisturbed. Frowning, the mother checked all of the bathrooms before returning to the living room. Her eyes darted over to the balcony, hoping to see her daughter sitting outside, but the girl was missing from there was well.

Shelby wracked her brain trying to think where else her daughter could have gone, and an idea popped into her head. Perhaps Rachel was exploring the apartment building—there was a pool and gym, and several different rec rooms that may have lured the curious teen away.

The mother's feet carried her out of the apartment and towards the pool. Shelby heard peels of laughter and splashing in the hall before she was even at the door to the pool area. She was able to look through the glass walls and there was no sign of her daughter, but she went inside just in case.

Several of her neighbors smiled and waved to her; Shelby was too distracted to do more than nod at them. Rachel wasn't here.

Her next stop was the gym on the fourth floor—still no sign of her daughter. The beginning stages of panic began to build in Shelby's chest as her brain went into overdrive, but Shelby shook it off and scoffed at herself. There were still plenty of places Rachel could be.

By the time Shelby checked all of the rec rooms, it was harder to keep her panicked thoughts to a minimum. Still, Rachel had to be somewhere. She couldn't have just disappeared.

"The lobby!" said Shelby, hurrying to the elevators.

The mother was running towards the main desk before the elevator doors were fully open, calling out apologies as she barreled past passerby.

The woman behind the desk jumped in surprise as Shelby came to a stop in front of her, her hands slamming onto the desk in haste.

"Stacy," Shelby breathed hard, "Have you…seen Rachel?"

"No, Shelby, not since last night. Are you okay?" Stacy replied.

"I can't find her anywhere. I've looked everywhere I could think," said Shelby, her mind working fast. The events of Thursday suddenly popped into her head and she gasped.

"Thanks for your help, Stacy!" Shelby yelled as she tore off for the elevators once more, pulling her phone out of her pocket as she went.

"Uh…Anytime, Shelby!" Stacy's voice carried through the lobby.

"Sasha!" Shelby exclaimed as her friend picked up. "Is Rachel there with you?"

" _I—What? Why would she be here with me?"_ Sasha faltered.

"I can't find her anywhere! She isn't here, Sash!" Shelby's voice quavered as she smashed her finger against the up button.

" _Have you tried calling her?"_ Sasha returned.

"Of _course_ —Call her! Why didn't I think of that?"

" _Try to get in touch with her. Call me back if you need me to come over, okay?"_ Sasha said soothingly.

Shelby hung up with her friend and looked down at her phone. She would call Rachel; she couldn't believe she hadn't thought of that to begin with. She stared at her phone for what felt like ages, knowing something was wrong. But what was it?

Shelby's stomach dropped, and it wasn't because of the elevator. The doors opened to her floor and she stepped into the hallway. "Rachel doesn't have a phone!" she gasped.

In the recent commotion, it had simply slipped her mind. Shelby cursed herself. She had no way to get in touch with her daughter. How could she have let this happen?

Shelby stopped at her apartment, her hand reaching out to turn the knob. It was locked. She shook her head at her action and patted her pockets in search of her keys.

"Shit," she breathed. She was locked out.

Without thinking, Shelby knocked on the door several times. "Rachel," she called, hoping the girl was somehow in the apartment, "It's me. Let me in, baby."

Shelby sighed. "Dammit," she groaned, reaching once more for her phone.

Sasha picked up before the first ring.

"Sash, I'm locked out. I need you to bring your key."

" _Locked out? Have you found Rachel?"_

"No! I was sleeping and now I can't find her anywhere…She's been kidnapped!" Shelby broke down, the anxiety that had been kept at bay up until this moment overwhelming her.

" _She hasn't been kidnapped,"_ Sasha reasoned. _"I'm sure she's in the building. She can't have gone far. I'm on my way. You just stay where you are, okay? We're going to figure this out."_

"Hurry," Shelby begged.

" _I will,"_ Sasha promised.

Shelby slumped to the floor, exhausted. Her thoughts turn even darker as they begin to play out the very worst scenarios she could imagine. Shelby's hand shook as she pulled the keypad up on her phone. She needed to call 911.

Her finger had barely touched the nine when the elevator doors opened and three people stepped out.

"Oh my God. _Rachel!"_ Shelby gasped, running towards the group.

Tears stream down Shelby's face as she pulls Rachel into her arms, holding her tightly. "Oh Rachel, where have you been? I've been so worried!"

Rachel frowned against her mother's chest. Why was she worried? She had expected her mom to be upset when she saw Rachel being escorted home by the police—not that that was her fault—but not worried.

"But I left a note telling you I went for a run and would be back," Rachel said, barely having time to return her mother's hug before she was being held at arm's length.

Shelby was still trying to process her daughter's words as she looked into the girl's eyes. "What note? Where did you go?"

"I went to Central Park—" Rachel started. The look she received sent chills down her spine. Her mother's tears did nothing to soften the steel in her eyes that burned deep into Rachel's soul.

"Rachel Barbra Corcoran! I told you we'd go tomorrow! I can't—You scared me half to death, Rachel! I thought you had been kidnapped!" Shelby sputtered, turning Rachel to her side and landing a mighty swat to her bottom. Two more quickly followed, causing Rachel to rock up on her toes and cry out.

"Don't you EVER scare me like that again! Do you understand me?" she said as she turned the girl around to face her.

"Y-yes…I-I promise!" Rachel choked out, her eyes wide. Her bottom stung where her mother struck her, and she wanted nothing more than to reach back and rub the sting. She then remembered that there were two police officers that had just witnessed everything, and her cheeks burned red.

One of the officers cleared his throat and gave a small smile when Shelby met his eyes. "I think we should take this, uh...reunion…inside," he said.

Shelby felt her own face heat up as reality settled back around her. She hadn't meant to lose her composure like that in front of the two men. She had honestly forgotten they were there and had simply been reacting to the moment. She had been so angry at Rachel in that instant, she hadn't even thought about it—she was swatting the girl before she knew what was happening.

Shelby turned towards the door and then back to the men. "I would, but I locked myself out. My friend is coming with the spare key."

"Oh, well—"

"I…I have it," Rachel said in barely more than a whisper. She stepped forward and pulled the key from her pocket, avoiding her mother's gaze. A quick turn of the key and the door was unlocked.

Rachel caught her mother's eye briefly before scurrying into the apartment; she was still feeling the effects of the swats she had already received and didn't want to give her mom the opportunity to dole out more.

Shelby removed her key from the doorknob as she followed Rachel inside, the officers behind her. "I'm sorry, I haven't thanked you both for bringing her home," she started, a thought suddenly crossing her mind. "Why did you bring her home? She isn't in any trouble, is she?"

"No, ma'am, she isn't in any trouble," the taller of the two officers said. "There was a bit of an incident at the park involving your daughter."

"Incident?" Shelby questioned, her eyes locking onto Rachel. The girl shifted uncomfortably under her gaze, but remained silent.

"One of our bike patrols noticed a growing group surrounding your daughter. Apparently she was recognized and then some had started in on her, wanting photographs and to know where you were. It was getting a bit rowdy by the time Officer Stedman got there," he explained.

Shelby looked over at her daughter again, her expression softening. It was clear now that her girl had had a stressful afternoon as well. She hoped that Rachel's adventure today, coupled with the punishment Shelby knew she had to hand out would keep the teen from making the same mistake again.

Shelby thanked the police officers again for their help and saw them out, but not before signing an autograph for the shorter officer. "It's for my daughter, she absolutely adores you," he said sheepishly.

She was just about to shut the door when she heard Sasha's voice. Shelby almost forgot she had called her friend and asked her to come over.

"Shelby, what's going on? Where's Rachel?" Sasha asked as she stopped in front of her friend. She pulled her into a hug and kissed her cheek.

"She's inside. Two police officers brought her home," Shelby said.

"What happened?" Sasha asked as she followed Shelby inside. She made a beeline for Rachel, pulling the girl into her arms.

"Don't scare us like that, kid!" she chided gently, planting a kiss to the teen's head.

"I wouldn't have if Mom had read my note," Rachel pouted as her aunt pulled back.

"Where's the note?" Shelby questioned from across the room.

"On the table," Rachel pointed.

Shelby turned and saw—for the first time—the note her daughter was talking about. She read it quickly and then looked back over to Rachel and Sasha. "Rachel, you are not allowed to go anywhere without permission—I thought I made that clear on Thursday."

"You told me I had to tell you where I was and who I was with," Rachel returned. She didn't understand why her mother was angry with her; she had done exactly as she was told.

"You snuck out while I was _sleeping_ , Rachel!" Shelby bit back, her voice rising. The anger she had initially felt when Rachel told her she had gone off to Central Park rose in her chest, burning ten times hotter than before.

"I didn't sneak out! I told you where I was!" Rachel yelled, her own anger growing.

"You are a child, Rachel. You don't _tell_ me anything—I am the mother and I am in charge. You need to ask for my _permission_ ," Shelby roared.

"I never had to ask my dads before doing anything!" Rachel argued, stomping her foot in frustration.

Shelby's eyes flared and her jaw clenched. Two strides brought her over to Rachel and she grabbed the girl's arm firmly. She raised her hand to bring it down on Rachel's backside, but stopped herself. Shelby realized she was too angry to deal with this situation right now.

"We are not going to yell back and forth like this," she said, releasing the girl. "I need you to go to the bedroom and stay there."

"Why?" Rachel asked.

"Why? Because I'm too angry to have this conversation with you right now, Rachel. I want you to go shower and then you are to stay in the bedroom until I'm ready to talk to you. Is that understood?"

Rachel glared at her mother, upset and angry with her for being upset and angry with Rachel. It wasn't fair. "But I didn't do anything wrong!"

"Didn't do anything…Rachel, are you seriously—" Shelby stopped herself before she could finish that sentence. Taking a moment to collect herself, Shelby tried again. "Rachel, I love you. You scared me so much today. You disobeyed me and I don't think you understand that, but we will talk about it in a little bit and you will."

"Whatever," Rachel growled, stomping away.

Shelby sighed as she watched her daughter head to the back of the apartment. She closed her eyes when the girl slammed the door and then slowly turned towards her friend; she had forgotten Sasha was there.

"I bet that was quite a show," she said, blushing slightly.

"I had flashbacks of myself as a teenager," Sasha laughed. "What the hell happened?"

Shelby let out a mirthless laugh as she slumped down on the sofa, resting her head in her hands. "Oh, Sash," she moaned. "I think she aged me ten years."

Sasha sighed and came to sit next to her longtime friend. She was quiet as she listened as Shelby told her everything that happened in the last hour.

"Well, the first thing you need to do is get that kid a cellphone so this doesn't happen again," Sasha said when Shelby finished.

"Oh, it's not happening again. She's not leaving my sight—ever," Shelby declared.

"Shelby," Sasha sighed, "You can't keep her under lock and key. She's fourteen. She wants and needs her own space. You need to give her room to explore and grow—let her figure some things out on her own."

"I'm not giving her more freedom after she disobeyed me!" came Shelby's retort.

"Slow down, Queen," Sasha chided softly. "I'm not saying that. All I'm saying is that you have a teenager and she's going to want to spread her wings. You can't always be right there. Teach her how to be safe in the city and make sure she understands the real dangers of a life in the public eye."

Shelby laughed at the use of Sasha's old nickname for her—she had taken to calling her "Queen" whenever Sasha felt Shelby was being too dramatic.

"Okay, point made," Shelby conceded. "I still can't believe she snuck out and doesn't see what's wrong with that."

It was Sasha's turn to laugh. "I think it's more the fact that she's upset about being in trouble and doesn't want to admit she was wrong."

"When did you get so wise?" Shelby cracked.

"I've always been wise, you just never paid attention to me," Sasha returned.

By the time Sasha left, Shelby was feeling calm and collected. She appreciated her friend's support, not the mention the kick in the pants she was given. Shelby could always depend on Sasha to call her out when she was being unreasonable or overdramatic.

She sighed deeply after locking the door and turning back to the sofa. Her anger was long gone, but she still didn't feel ready to go talk to Rachel. She needed a few more minutes to compose herself. Actually, she needed her sister. Grabbing her phone from the coffee table, she quickly dialed her Lauren's number.

"Lu…I have a problem," Shelby said, a lump forming in her throat.

" _What's wrong?"_ Lauren asked, hearing the crack in her baby sister's voice. She listened as Shelby went over the details of the day she was having.

"Oh Lu. I know I have to do this, but what if…what if I can't? I've never given a spanking before," Shelby said dejectedly, wiping a few tears from her cheek.

" _I know it's hard, Shel. No parent wants to have to resort to spanking, but sometimes it's unavoidable. This is one of those times, I'm afraid,"_ Lauren said gently.

"I don't want to hurt her. What if I do it wrong?"

" _You won't,"_ Lauren reassured, _"You've been on the receiving end enough times to know the basics—"_

"Lauren!" Shelby blushed. She wanted her sister's help, not to be reminded of her own spankings growing up.

" _Hold on, I'm not finished,"_ Lauren laughed. Shelby groaned.

" _I'm just saying, you remember how they're given—over the knee, bare-bottomed, with the hand. You want the very first swat to be hard—you want to make sure it gets her attention—but then you need to give her a warm up so there's no bruising. That's important, Shelby."_

"How do I know when that's done?" Shelby asked.

" _You want her whole bottom to be a light pink before you move on to harder spanks. Rachel will probably be squirming around by that point. She may even be starting to cry. You need to ignore that and continue."_

"Is there a certain number I should give her or…" Shelby sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "How will I know when to end it?"

Shelby had made her decision as soon as she found Rachel and realized the girl was okay. She had been angry to discover that her daughter had gone behind her back and snuck out. A spanking seemed the obvious choice and had been an easy decision to make when her adrenaline was still pulsing in her veins. Now that she was calm, doubts had settled in her heart.

" _No Shel, there's no magic number,"_ said Lauren. _"I always end it after the kids stop fighting me and accept their punishment—I give them a few more swats, normally half of their age, and then it's all over. You'll know when it's enough."_

"I don't think I can do this. I'm not…not ready for this," she choked out.

" _Oh baby girl,"_ Lauren soothed, _"No one is ever ready the first time. You have to be consistent though. If you've gone over the rules and consequences and have told Rachel that she can expect a spanking when she does something dangerous, then you have to follow through. She expects you to—whether she realizes that or not. She's looking for you to step up and be the parent and give her structure and consequences. And that's exactly what you are going to do. You'll feel like a complete jerk and it'll break your heart, but you have to remember this is to teach Rachel a lesson. Trust your instincts, Shelby."_

"I don't want her to hate me," Shelby whispered.

" _Shelby Elizabeth Corcoran, that girl_ adores _you. She could never hate you. She's testing you because she needs to know that you will be there for her and will do what you say. She knows you are here in the good times, but she now needs to know you're here through the bad too,"_ Lauren said.

"I hope you're right."

" _I'm always right."_

Shelby couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, you're right," she conceded. "I guess I'll go talk to her. Thanks, Lu."

" _Anytime, baby girl. Love you,"_ Lauren said before ending the conversation.

Shelby sighed and sat quietly for a few more minutes before making her way to her bedroom where her daughter was waiting for her. She paused once more before taking a deep breath and opening the door.

* * *

 **That's the it for this chapter. I'm about 67% finished with Chapter 7, but if you want to catch a few sneak peeks, check out my Tumblr! Until next time, dear Readers!**


	7. Consequences

**Hello Readers! Here's the newest chapter! In this one, we'll see Shelby step up for the first time as disciplinarian. Rachel isn't sure how to handle the punishment or everything that comes after. Shelby does her best to comfort her daughter and get them back to normal.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter Seven: Consequences**

Rachel was curled up on the bed, facing away from the door when she heard it open. She closed her eyes and pretended to be sleeping as her mom drew nearer.

Shelby stood above her daughter's 'slumbering' body, realizing in this moment how silly it was for kids to try to trick their parents in this way. Rachel's body was too rigid and her eyes flickered back and forth beneath her eyelids, giving her away in an instant. Shelby chuckled to herself as she thought of her parents walking into this same scene many times when Shelby was growing up.

The mother brushed a damp lock of hair back from Rachel's face, smiling as the girl's eyes fluttered even more. She sat at the girl's feet and waited as her daughter played out her little deception, rubbing her eyes as she 'woke up'.

"Let's talk, Rach," she said gently.

Rachel huffed but sat up, her eyes darkening as she scowled at her mother. "Why?" she asked. "You're just gonna yell again."

"I'm not going to yell, Rachel. I was angry before, but I'm calm now," said Shelby.

"It's not fair that you were angry at all!" Rachel argued.

"I was angry because I had no idea where you went and I was scared," Shelby explained.

"But I wrote you a note and told you I'd be back! I never had to tell my dads when I went somewhere—they never cared!"

Shelby couldn't help the short, humorless laugh that escaped her lips. Rachel had said much the same earlier and Shelby had been ready to spank the girl then and there. Her daughter's words made her angry now, but she was able to brush it aside.

"I guess it's a good thing I'm not your dads then, young lady. I care about what you do," she said sternly. "As for the note, I didn't see it until you got home. But Rachel, leaving a note and asking and receiving permission are not the same thing."

"That's not what you said! You told me on Thursday that you expected me to tell you where I was going and who I was with at all times. I did that. It's not fair you're upset with me for doing what you said," the teen yelled.

"Okay…Okay," Shelby sighed, holding up her hand. They weren't getting anywhere this way. Shelby tried to recall what she had told Rachel on Thursday; she thought she had explained herself clearly but Rachel's reactions told a different story.

"I'm sorry I didn't make it clear before. The confusion is my fault—"

"See? I told you," the girl muttered.

"But that doesn't excuse your actions," Shelby continued, ignoring her daughter's comment. She understood the girl was upset, but Shelby had to remain calm. She had given into her anger earlier; now it was time to take control of the situation and make sure that Rachel understood what she had done was wrong.

"That's not fair!" Rachel whined.

"It is fair," said Shelby. "Regardless of the note, Rachel, I told you we would go to the park tomorrow, and instead of being patient, you waited until I was asleep to go by yourself. There's no confusion there—I know you know that was wrong."

Rachel hung her head and picked at a bit of string from the comforter. It was easier when she was able to yell at her mom, but now Rachel wasn't sure what to say. She had been backed into a corner.

Shelby remained silent, waiting to see if Rachel would say anything. She thought about how she wanted to approach the situation. She knew she needed to make it clear to Rachel that she could not, under any circumstances, go anywhere without Shelby's permission. She also knew she needed to impress upon Rachel just how dangerous her actions were today. Shelby had no idea where her fourteen-year-old was, nor did she have any way to get in touch with her. Anything could have happened to Rachel and Shelby had no way of knowing. After another moment's deliberation, Shelby decided the best place to start was indeed the beginning.

"Why did you go out, Rach?"

Rachel let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and then shrugged her shoulders.

Shelby sighed. "That's not an acceptable answer. Tell me what you were thinking," she said. She kept her voice calm and soft—she wanted Rachel to talk to her and she _really_ wanted to know what had been going on in her daughter's head when she made her decision to leave the house while Shelby was in bed.

Rachel looked at her mom with sad eyes. She bit her lip and then lowered her gaze to her hands. "I…I didn't think you'd be up for a while. I-I thought I'd get back before you woke up."

"So you snuck out?"

Rachel's head snapped back up, upset by her mother's words. "No Mom, I—I didn't sneak out. That's why I left a note," she insisted. "I thought about what you told me on Thursday. I know I need to let you know where I go."

"While I appreciate the forethought, honey, you didn't have permission to leave this house—let alone go to Central Park by yourself. You ignored me and my rules and went and did what you wanted," said Shelby.

"No, I didn't ignore the rules!" Rachel protested, the first tears stinging her eyes.

"No? Well tell me this, Rachel," said Shelby, "What would you have done if I was still sleeping when you got back, like you thought? Would you have told me you'd gone out?"

Rachel bit her lip as she considered the question. She wanted to tell her mother that of course she would have told her, but the girl knew that would be a lie. She was afraid her mother would see through that and she knew the woman didn't tolerate lying. Shelby had told Rachel that early on, with the promise of a spanking if that line was ever crossed. Rachel thought about that now as she deliberated her answer.

Shelby waited her daughter out, watching closely as the girl's wheels turned. She already knew the answer to her question, but she wanted to hear it from Rachel. She needed Rachel to understand the severity of the situation and to think back on every wrong choice she had made—including the ones she hadn't realized yet.

"I wouldn't have told you," she admitted.

Rachel had met her mother's eyes briefly but couldn't hold them, the disappointment and sadness too much for her. Guilt bubbled up inside and she wanted nothing more than for the earth to open up and swallow her whole.

Shelby nodded sadly. "Do you see now why your note doesn't excuse what you did? You used it as a back-up plan, in case I woke up before you got home. If I hadn't, you were planning on lying to me about what you had done."

"I-I didn't mean to," Rachel stammered.

"You didn't mean to get caught," Shelby corrected her. "You need to ask for my permission before you go somewhere. I told you we would go to the park tomorrow. You didn't listen. You disobeyed me, Rachel."

"But I—"

"Furthermore, I told you we couldn't go today because Tom and Josh couldn't come with us. We don't go anywhere in the city without them, you know that. So why would you think it would be okay for you to go out, _alone_ , without my knowledge?"

"I didn't think anything would…would happen," Rachel all but whispered. A tear rolled down Rachel's cheek as the enormity of her situation settled on her young shoulders. She was in a lot of trouble and she knew it.

"But something _did_ happen, Rachel. You're lucky a cop was nearby to help you. What if he hadn't been? You could have gotten hurt! We aren't a normal family, Rach—and even if we were, you're only fourteen. You're too young to go off alone in a strange city! What if the paparazzi had shown up? You've seen what that's like, they would have eaten you alive! Or what if you had been kidnapped?" Shelby scolded, her voice rising in anger.

"I'm sorry," Rachel sniffed, swiping the back of her hand across her nose.

"How did you even get to the park?" Shelby asked. There was no way her daughter could have gotten there by herself.

"I…I took a cab," Rachel answered.

"And how did you pay for it?" Shelby asked, taking a calming breath. She had a feeling she wasn't going to like her daughter's answer.

Rachel reached over to the nightstand where she had placed her mother's credit card before her shower. She picked it up and held it like it might burn her at any minute, offering it to her mom with a shaky hand.

Shelby sighed loudly. "So not only did you sneak out, but you stole my credit card as well? Rachel…I'm very disappointed in you," she said, taking her card from her daughter. She saw Rachel wince at her words, but she had to remain firm.

"No, I…I just borrowed it! I was going to put it back, I swear!" Rachel said, glancing up at Shelby for a brief second before lowering her gaze again. Her eyes were shiny with tears.

"Borrowing without permission is just as bad as stealing, Rachel. You are _never_ to go into my purse and take anything out of my wallet. If you need something, you come to me and ask. I will always provide for you, Rach, and I will even get you things you want. But you will not take money or my credit cards without my permission. Am I understood?" Shelby said sternly.

Rachel only nodded. She was crying softly now. She really hated this. She liked when her mom was loving up on her, _not_ scolding. And a small voice in Rachel's head started nagging that her mom would get rid of her now, that she wouldn't want to deal with a troublemaker.

"I need a verbal answer, Rachel," Shelby said, her voice softening.

"Yes, ma'am," Rachel replied sadly.

"Rachel, do you understand the seriousness of what you did? Do you know why I'm so disappointed by your actions?"

Hearing her mother's words, Rachel couldn't help the sob that escaped. She wished she could go back and start the day over. She wouldn't have ever left this afternoon. At the time, she hadn't thought that anything bad was going to happen. It had only been a little after one when she left and her mother was sleeping. Rachel figured she had plenty of time to go to the park and return home before Shelby even woke.

"Mommy, I…I wasn't thinking…I didn't think that anything bad w-w-would happen. I didn't mean to worry you. And I didn't mean to steal! I'm so sorry! You have to b-believe me, Mom!" Rachel sobbed.

Shelby's heart broke. She pulled Rachel into a hug, rubbing her back soothingly. "I know you're sorry, sweetie. I believe you. Shh," she cooed, trying to calm her girl down.

"I'm sorry!" Rachel cried into her mother's shoulder, grateful for the comfort.

"Okay now, that's enough. Stop crying. We're almost done," Shelby soothed, continuing to rub Rachel's back. She needed to calm the girl down so they could move on with things before she lost her nerve altogether.

"What's gonna happen now?" Rachel asked, her tears never ceasing. "Where am I gonna go?"

Shelby pulled back and looked into Rachel's watery eyes, trying to understand what she was asking. "You aren't going anywhere, Rachel. What are you talking about?"

"You're gonna s-send me away!" Rachel cried.

"I'm not sending you anywhere," Shelby assured. "I love you more than anything in this world. I'm never going to leave you, baby. Never."

"But I d-disobeyed you and stole and—and…and s-snuck out! I ruined ev-everything!"

"Hey now," Shelby said in a firm voice, shaking the girl slightly, "You've done no such thing. That's impossible, do you hear me? You, Rachel Barbra Corcoran, are my world. Nothing can ever change that. I love you. _I love you."_

"You're gonna get rid of me!" Rachel wailed, her pain palpable.

"Knock it off!" Shelby yelled, not knowing how else to get the girl's attention.

It worked. Rachel's sobs stopped immediately and she stared back at Shelby with wide eyes. Shelby's heart broke at the sight of her child so distraught, but she was glad she had shocked the girl back to reality.

"Are you ready to listen to me now?" she asked. Rachel only nodded.

"You're right, you did disobey me and sneak out—it was dangerous and things could have been so much worse than they were. And you stole my credit card. On top of all that, you were planning to lie to me about everything," she began.

"Mom—"

"But none of that matters. You made mistakes today, Rachel. That's life. We all make them. It doesn't change how I feel about you, and it never will. I love you unconditionally. That means I love you through the good, bad, and the ugly. Do you understand that?"

"But my dads—"

"Your dads are the exception, Rachel, not the rule. Real parents don't give up on their children. They don't send them away when things get hard. They pick up their child, dust them off, and guide them along the way. That's exactly what I plan on doing with you, young lady," said Shelby.

"Mom, I…I'm sorry," Rachel said, her tears returning. She swiped at her eyes and sniffed.

"Oh honey," Shelby breathed, pulling the girl into her arms once more. "You don't ever have to be sorry for your emotions. I know it's hard for you right now. Everything's changing and none of it makes sense. And we've both had a rough day. It's been an emotional roller coaster."

Rachel rested her head on her mom's shoulder, comforted by her words. Her mom was right—it had been a rough day. Her emotions had gone up, down, and upside down. "I love you, Mommy," she whispered.

"I love you too, honey," Shelby smiled.

"I feel a lot better, Mom," Rachel said a moment later, pulling back from the hug. She wiped at her remaining tears before leaning in to give the woman a sweet peck on the cheek.

"I'm glad to hear that, Rach," Shelby replied, patting the girl's knee. She was glad the teen was more relaxed, as she herself was. They both needed that moment of comfort. Now, however, it was time to get down to business.

"Wanna go watch a movie?" Rachel asked as she stood. She stretched her arms above her and took a step forward.

"Absolutely," Shelby replied, "But we have one more thing to take care of first." She grabbed hold of Rachel's wrist and pulled her back towards the bed. She then moved Rachel to stand between her knees and rested her hands on either side of the girl's waist.

"I can't let this go without a punishment, Rachel," Shelby began.

Rachel bit her lip and squirmed, trying to move away, but her mother's hands were steadfast. She had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. "I'm really sorry, Mom," she said.

"I know you are, honey. But I'm afraid you've earned yourself a spanking," Shelby said, her tone soft.

"Mommy, please don't," Rachel begged, her stomach doing a summersault. Her throat felt dry and she could hear her blood pulsing in her ears. Aside from the few swats her mother had administered on various occasions, Rachel had never received a spanking. She didn't want to ruin her track record now.

"Do you remember the rules we went over a few weeks ago? I told you there were five things that would earn you a spanking every time."

"Yes, but I—"

"Lying, cheating, stealing, deliberately disobeying me, and doing anything dangerous," she listed them off on her fingers. "You broke three of those, and were going to break a fourth if you had to. You've more than earned this punishment, Rachel."

"Mom, I'm sorry! I promise I'll never do anything like this again! Please don't do this," Rachel wheedled, looking at her mom with big eyes that were still shiny from her previous tears.

"I'm sorry, kiddo, but this is happening. It's going to hurt, but then it will be over and we can put all of this behind us. And when we're done, I'll hold you as long as you need. I'll hold you all day if you want. I love you so much, Rachel. That's why I'm doing this," Shelby remained firm despite an internal struggle.

She wanted nothing more than to let Rachel off with the lecture she had just given and perhaps a grounding, but she knew she couldn't do that. Lauren's words echoed in Shelby's mind, steeling her resolve.

"But you don't have to!"

Shelby swallowed back the lump in her throat that was threatening to undo her as she stared into Rachel's eyes. "Yes, I do. Sometimes being the parent means being the bad guy and making the tough calls," she said as much for herself as for Rachel. She needed to be strong right now—Rachel needed her to be strong.

As much as it was hurting Shelby, she knew this punishment was necessary. In the span of ninety minutes, Rachel had broken all but one of Shelby's major rules. Rachel needed to learn that she was the child in this relationship and that Shelby was the parent and the one in charge. Shelby knew that concept was foreign to her daughter, who had grown up with parents that let her do as she pleased. She couldn't let that fact sway her in terms of her own parenting of Rachel. Shelby reminded herself that Rachel needed rules and consequences and needed to know that her mother would always follow through on her promises.

"But—"

"That's enough, Rachel," Shelby became firm. She needed to do this now before she lost her nerve—what little she had left.

Rachel hung her head, acknowledging defeat. She couldn't see a way out of this, and she didn't want to make her mom angry by arguing about it.

"Have you ever been spanked before, Rach?" Shelby asked, licking her lips. She had a new appreciation for her parents in this moment. They had both always been so sure of themselves when handing out a spanking; Shelby had never been more nervous in her life.

Rachel's face grew hot and she shifted uncomfortably in front of her mother. She shook her head a fraction of an inch to either side and wiped the back of her hand over her eyes.

Shelby patted Rachel's side in what she hoped was a comforting gesture. Her limbs felt heavy and sluggish, as if in protest of the coming task. "Do you want me to explain what will, uh…happen?"

The girl shook her head more forcibly this time, her blush deepening. She may not have experienced a spanking before, but she thought she had a good idea of what it would entail if her mother's swats were anything to go on. Rachel didn't want the whole thing spelled out for her.

"Okay, let's get this over with then," Shelby said. The mother took a moment to situate herself in what she hoped was the best position for her task before guiding her daughter across her knees.

Rachel nerves manifested themselves as a herd of elephants stomping around inside her belly as she was lowered over her mother's lap. Her upper body came to rest on the bed, then her legs. She could feel her bottom protruding high into the air, a perfect target for her mother's hand.

Feelings of nervousness, embarrassment, and guilt swirled inside Rachel, coming to join the turbulent march of the elephants in her stomach. She whimpered and buried her head in her arms as she felt her mother shift beneath her.

Shelby looked down at the small body draped over her and felt her heart constrict. Rachel looked so much younger in this position, so little. She had on the gray t-shirt that Shelby had given her to sleep in on their first night in New York, along with a pair of red plaid boxer shorts with the McKinley Titans logo stitched on the bottom right corner. Shelby couldn't help but be relieved that Rachel had chosen the loose boxers to wear; they would be more comfortable on a sore bottom than one of the tighter-fitting mesh shorts she normally wore.

Shelby's thoughts turned to her own spankings growing up. She had always felt that being on the receiving end was the worse of the two positions. Now that she was on the other side, she saw how wrong she was. Her stomach twisted in knots and her throat was dry. She couldn't get enough air in her lungs. Her heart felt like it was going to jump out of her chest at any minute.

Pushing her nerves aside, the mother hooked her fingers under the waistband of the girl's shorts. With a quick tug, she had the boxers down around Rachel's knees.

Rachel pushed herself up on her elbows and craned her neck around, an expression of pure shock etched on her face. "Mom—Wha—"

Her words died on her lips as her mom jerked down her underwear, exposing her pale bottom to the cool air and sending a shiver through her body. She spun back around to stare at the headboard in front of her, tensing as she prepared for the first swat.

"Spankings will always be on your bare bottom, Rach," Shelby explained, her voice soft. She took a minute to rub her daughter's bottom gently, wanting her to relax. She knew from experience that tensing just made it hurt worse.

As soon as Rachel had relaxed, Shelby raised her hand. She let it hang in the air for a second before bringing it down on the girl's left cheek—hard, just as Lauren had told her.

"Ow!" Rachel yelped, jumping at the impact. She wasn't prepared for how much it would sting on a bare bottom. It was much worse than the earlier swats she had gotten. She squeezed her eyes shut in anticipation of the next one.

Shelby took a deep, steadying breath. This was really happening—she was spanking her little girl. She was going to be making her little girl cry before it was all said and done. Shelby absolutely _hated_ that she was going to be the one to cause her daughter pain.

The next swat was lighter, but still enough to make Rachel cry out. A third and then a forth were given out and Shelby felt more sure of herself. She began to spank methodically, making sure to cover every inch of Rachel's bottom.

Rachel yelped at the first three swats and then grunted and hissed her way through the next half dozen. The swats now were firm, but not overly hard. Rachel was relieved that this ordeal wasn't as bad as she was expecting. Her skin prickled under her mother's ministrations, but it was more annoying than painful.

As the punishment progressed, Rachel found it harder to keep still. She cried out after every other swat or so and could feel fresh tears stinging at her eyes.

"Oh, ow!" she exclaimed after a particularly painful swat. The annoying prickles had turned into a burning sting that she hadn't noticed until now. "Owww!"

By now, Shelby felt she had given a satisfying warm-up. Rachel's skin was a light pink and the girl had begun to squirm back and forth in an attempt to avoid the swats. Shelby's own hand tingled slightly; she thought now was the time to take it up a notch.

Shelby wrapped her arm around Rachel's waist and pulled her closer to her body. She paused for a minute, thinking back on some of the spankings she had received as a teenager. Her parents had always asked her questions during; Shelby had hated it, but it never failed to make the lesson stick. She tried it now with Rachel.

"Why are you getting this spanking, Rachel?" she asked, increasing the strength of her swats. Her daughter's reaction was immediate.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Rachel gasped, tears blazing new trails down her cheeks. She heard her mother's question, but surely the woman didn't expect her to answer at a time like this! She could hardly think straight, let alone form actual sentences.

Shelby slowed her pace to give the girl time to think. She remembered how hard it could be to come up with an answer when your parent was setting your rear ablaze. "Rachel, you need to answer," she added after a moment.

"B-Because—AH!—I went out—Ow!—without p-permission! It's d-dangerous! OUCH!" Rachel shrieked, grabbing hold of the comforter and bunching it in her fists. She wanted this punishment to be over already—it hurt so much!

"That's right, Rachel. Anything could have happened to you and I would have no way of knowing!" Shelby scolded, turning her attention to her daughter's sit-spots and start of thighs.

Rachel sobbed and kicked her legs against the bed, sending her boxer shorts flying across the room. "M-Mommy, please!" she wailed. Her bottom felt like it was on _fire!_

"I need to know where you are at all times. And you need to ask for my permission before you're allowed to go anywhere!" Shelby continued as she lifted her leg for better access. She peppered the area with a volley of hard spanks. "What else?"

"Um—Ow! I-I took your credit card without asking! Oh, Mommy, stop—It hurts!" Rachel sobbed, wiggling as much as she could. It did nothing to help her avoid the painful swats; her mom found her mark every time.

"You stole from me, Rachel, and that is never okay! This will not happen again, young lady!" Shelby scolded, her heart breaking at Rachel's cries. She was nearing an end though, and so she pushed her feelings aside to finish the job.

"Never! I p-promise! I'll be good!" Rachel cried. She'd promise anything if only her mom would stop her assault.

Her mother spanked for what felt like hours to Rachel, until she gave in and lay slumped over her mother's lap, crying for all she was worth. Her bottom stung awfully, and she was feeling very repentant. She would _never_ go anywhere without her mother's knowledge again! Ever! Or take her mother's credit card without permission, for that matter!

By now, Rachel's bottom was a bright cherry red, so Shelby gave the girl a further four spanks—two to each sit-spot—before pulling Rachel's underwear back into place. She quickly scooped Rachel up while maneuvering into a comfortable position against the pillows, laying Rachel almost all the way on top of her.

Rachel sobbed her heart out, clinging to her mother the whole time. She felt her mother's arms wrapping around her protectively and holding her close. "I'm s-s-sorry, Mom!" she wailed.

"Shhh, you're forgiven, Rachel. It's all over. Hush now, Mommy's right here," Shelby soothed, barely keeping her own tears at bay. "I love you, baby."

Shelby ran her fingers through Rachel's damp hair and down her back. Spanking Rachel just now had been the hardest thing she ever had to do—well, aside from giving her baby up after she was born, that is. But the old saying was true: it really _had_ hurt Shelby more than it had Rachel.

"Mommy, I-I really am s-sorry! I didn't mean to s-scare you! I really wanted to go to Central Park, but I don't even…I don't know why I did it," Rachel cried, rubbing her face on her mom's shirt and getting snot and tears all over it.

"Oh honey, it's okay. Shhh, it's okay," Shelby said, trying to get Rachel to calm down. "You're just pushing me—"

"I n-not trying to push you away!" Rachel sobbed. The fear that her mom would find something she didn't like about her and use that as an excuse to be rid of her rose to the surface like angry bile.

"Oh, that's not what I meant, sweetie!" Shelby soothed, rubbing Rachel's back. "You aren't pushing me away. You're just…testing me. Testing your limits. It's perfectly normal behavior, Rach. I did it with your grandparents growing up. And they were always there to put me back in line, just like I'm doing for you."

"I'm sorry!" Rachel cried, rubbing her face on her mom's shirt again.

"Shh, it's all over. All's forgiven. No more tears now," Shelby cooed, reaching her hand underneath Rachel's shirt. She began to gently scratch her daughter's back with her nails; Shelby had always loved when her own mother scratched her back as a child.

"Are you okay now?" Shelby asked when Rachel's tears had subsided.

"It hurts," Rachel said sadly, reaching a hand back to rub her bottom. She hissed when that only made the stinging worse.

"I know it does, sweetheart," Shelby soothed. "I hope you learned a lesson from it though. Did you?"

Rachel nodded vehemently against her mother's chest. "I need to ask your permission before I do things," she said, sniffling.

"Yes you do, Rach. I'm the mother, and I take care of you. You are not free to do as you please. My rules are in place for a reason—to keep you safe. If you break them, you can expect me to follow through with consequences," Shelby said gently but firmly.

"Yes, ma'am," Rachel said contritely. "I'm sorry."

"Shh, no more apologies. It's all over. All done," Shelby soothed.

Rachel yawned and snuggled closer to her mother, her eyes growing heavy. She blinked in an effort to stave off sleep, but her eyes wouldn't cooperate. They were sore and swollen from crying and it felt so good to close them. She felt herself drifting off even as her mind told her to stay awake.

Shelby lay with Rachel until the girl was sound asleep. She carefully pulled her arm out from under Rachel's shirt and eased away from the sleeping girl. She tiptoed from the room, keeping the door cracked so she could hear if Rachel called for her.

Shelby walked to the living room, sat on the sofa, rested her head in her hands and cried. She had successfully held it together while she was spanking her baby, kept herself under control while comforting Rachel. Now she was alone with her thoughts and she hurt. Loud, heart-wrenching sobs wracked her body.

Shelby wished Lauren could be with her right now. She had always gone to her big sister when she was upset. Lauren was her sounding board, her rock. She knew just what to say to make Shelby feel better, no matter the circumstance.

A part of Shelby felt guilty for wanting Lauren a second time in one day. Her sister had her own life, her own family. Shelby wasn't a little girl any more.

As Shelby rattled off reasons to herself as to why she shouldn't call her sister, her hand reached out for her phone sitting on the coffee table. There were many reasons she shouldn't call, but only one for why she should—Lauren was her big sister, and big sisters were always there for their little ones.

Shelby had barely put her phone to her ear when she heard Lauren's voice on the other end. "LuLu," she choked out.

" _Oh baby girl,"_ Lauren soothed. She knew that her little sister needed to get her emotions out, and she was more than willing to stay on the phone with her until she felt better. _"It's going to be okay. Talk to me whenever you're ready."_

Shelby told her sister everything, pausing now and then to catch her breath. She was still crying heavily, but her heart felt lighter with each passing minute.

Lauren listened patiently, not daring to interrupt Shelby's train of thought. When her sister did finish, Lauren was fast to reassure her. _"Shel, I think you did everything right,"_ she said.

Shelby coughed out a laugh between her sniffles. "It doesn't feel like it."

" _It never does,"_ Lauren conceded. _"But_ _you let Rachel know that her behavior was unacceptable and then explained why, and you took your time to make sure she understood what was in store for her before actually spanking her. You held her afterwards and told her she was loved and forgiven. You are a great mother, Shelly."_

"I definitely don't feel _that_ ," protested Shelby.

" _I'll let you in on a little secret, baby sister,"_ Lauren offered, _"I don't feel that way either most days."_

"What are you talking about? You've always been so confident anywhere the kids are concerned."

Lauren laughed. _"Oh Shel. Most days I have no clue what I'm doing. I do my best to be what Haley and Michael need me to be. Sometimes that means I get to be the fun, goofy mom, and sometimes it means I've got to be the bad guy. I make mistakes—lots of them—but then I try again the next day to be better."_

"I'm not sure my best is good enough," Shelby confided, feeling fresh tears fall from her lashes.

" _Of course it is, Shelby. Just keep doing what you're doing. You are doing fine,"_ said Lauren.

"How can I be doing fine when Rachel's afraid I'm going to leave her? She's terrified I'll send her away. I'm not doing fine, I'm—"

" _You're doing everything you can,"_ Lauren said more firmly. _"This isn't a normal situation, Shel! Rachel is hurting, and you were thrown into this without any warning. It's going to take time to adjust—for both of you. You are both going to come out of this stronger than before."_

"How do you know?" Shelby asked in a small voice. Truth was, she was scared that she was going to break her daughter. She was afraid she was going to make a mistake and make things worse for the girl. "What if I screw her up even more?"

" _Because I know you, baby girl. You are the sweetest, most caring person I have ever met. There isn't a mean bone in your body, Shelby Corcoran. And I've seen the way you act around Rachel. You can't possibly screw up. You may make some mistakes, but Shelly, that's part of life. We_ all _make mistakes. It's how we learn and grow. You and Rachel will get through them together. And I'm always here to help—so are Mom and Dad, and those goons we call our brothers,"_ Lauren said reassuringly.

Shelby smiled in spite of herself, comforted by her sister's words. The conversation took a lighter tone and before Shelby knew it, she was laughing so hard her sides hurt.

"St-Stop! Lu—You're gonna make me wake up R-Rachel!" Shelby cackled, doubling over.

" _Okay…Okay, truce,"_ Lauren wheezed, tears streaming down her face. She wiped them away as she caught her breath and rubbed at a stitch in her side. _"It's too quiet here anyway—I've gotta go check on Todd and the kids and make sure they aren't wreaking havoc somewhere."_

"Give them kisses from me," Shelby smiled, her breathing returning to normal. "And thank you, Laur. I'm not sure what I'd do without you. I love you."

" _I love you too, baby girl,"_ said Lauren _. "Remember, you've got this. Listen to your heart. You're doing great. I'm here when you need me."_

The next time Rachel opened her eyes, golden rays of late afternoon light shown through the curtains. She rubbed at her eyes, scrunching her nose at the crusty remains of her earlier tears. She desperately needed to wash her face. Rachel rolled over to get out of bed and gasped as she settled onto her bottom and ignited the fire from before. She had forgotten in her sleepy haze, but the memories flooded to the surface as the pain grew.

Rachel hissed as she crawled from the bed, her hands going back to try to ease the sting. Her skin was tender and felt very much like sunburn. "A bunburn is more like it," Rachel muttered ruefully, giving her bottom one last rub.

Rachel made her way into the master bath, wanting to wash her face and then...well, the girl wasn't sure what she should do next. She was hungry, but she wasn't sure if she should venture out of the safety of the bedroom.

The girl splashed her face with warm water, looking at her reflection. If something like today had happened with her fathers—had they noticed—Rachel could expect to be yelled at and sent to her room, where she would have stayed until she was sure they weren't upset any longer. Her fathers had a tendency to remain upset and angry with her for as much as a week afterward, depending on the severity of her actions. Rachel spent that time staying out of her dads' way as much as possible until they began speaking to her normally again.

She pumped a bit of her mother's face wash onto her palm and lathered it in her hands, wondering if she'd have to act the same way around her mom. She hadn't acted angry or upset after the punishment was over, and even told Rachel that it was all forgotten. But was it really?

Rachel rinsed and dried her face, and turned to go back out into the bedroom when she paused. Facing away from the mirror, Rachel pulled down her underwear and craned her neck to inspect her posterior.

The girl frowned; she had expected her skin to be a deep red. It was barely pink. She pressed a hand against her skin and yelped. That hurt. It again reminded her of a sunburn. Wondering if her mom had aloe lotion tucked away somewhere, Rachel rummaged through the cabinets. She was so focused on her search that she didn't hear her mom enter behind her.

Shelby leaned up against the doorway, smiling at the sight of her daughter bent over, underwear at half-mast, rifling through the topmost sink drawer. "Rach, what'cha doing, babe?"

Rachel jumped in surprise and spun to face the woman. "Mom!"

A blush rose on her cheeks as she realized her underwear was still bunched up below the crease of her bottom and she had been on full display to her mother for the second time today. She hurried to pull them up and hissed as they raked across her skin.

"I'm sorry, honey, I didn't mean to startle you," Shelby said, taking a step forward. She reached out and tucked a lock of hair behind Rachel's ear. "What were you looking for?"

Rachel's blush deepened and she avoided her mother's gaze, focusing on tugging the hem of her shirt down as far as it would go. "I, um…" she paused, a wave of anxiety washing over her.

Her mind worked quickly as she weighed her options. Surely her mother wouldn't like that Rachel was looking for aloe to soothe her sore bottom—a sore bottom that Shelby had purposefully given her as punishment. Rachel didn't know the ins and outs of spankings, but she figured she was supposed to suffer through the aftereffects without help.

"Rach?" Shelby questioned.

"I was looking for aloe," Rachel mumbled in barely more than a whisper. She had decided, whatever the outcome, it was best to tell her mom the truth. She knew all too well what would happen if she didn't, and Rachel figured even if her mom _did_ become angry about the aloe, it would be better than the alternative.

Shelby had to lean in to hear, and even then she wasn't sure she had heard correctly. Still, she had a pretty good hunch, and so she slipped past the girl and opened the medicine cabinet above the toilet. A moment later, she handed Rachel the small bottle of aloe and placed a sweet kiss to the teen's forehead.

Rachel's eyes traveled up to her mother's for a brief second before looking back down to the bottle in her hand in wonder. She felt a tiny smile pull at her lips and whispered a quick, "Thank you."

"Of course, honey," Shelby returned the smile. "Would you like some help?"

"Mom, I don't—I can do it myself," Rachel whined, her face redder than ever. She kept her eyes downcast as she pulled at her hem again.

"Hey," Shelby lifted Rachel's chin to look into her eyes, "There's no need to be embarrassed in front of me, kiddo. I'm your mom."

"Yeah," Rachel nodded, focusing just above her mother's eyes to a small scar on her right eyebrow.

Shelby echoed the girl's nod and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. She didn't really think that Rachel had believed her, but she knew now wasn't the time to have that discussion. No doubt her daughter's ego was smarting just as much as her bottom at the moment and the girl needed time to pout and sulk—and yes, be embarrassed. They'd have the opportunity to talk about all of that later; for now, Shelby would let Rachel have some space.

"Okay, I'm going to go start dinner now that you're awake. You can come help me after you're finished," Shelby said before slipping from the room.

Rachel returned to the bedroom a few minutes later, her bottom feeling cool and relieved. She found her boxers that she had kicked off earlier and slipped them on before heading towards the front of the house.

Shelby smiled as Rachel entered the kitchen and was glad to see the girl looked more relaxed now. "Are you feeling better?" she asked as she turned her attention away from the open freezer.

Rachel nodded and felt a blush beginning to creep back into her cheeks.

"Good, I'm glad the aloe helped," Shelby pushed forward. If Rachel wouldn't believe her when she said there was no reason to be embarrassed, then she would just have to show her. "What would you like for dinner?"

Rachel frowned as she searched her mother's face. If she had been surprised at being given the lotion before, it was nothing compared to how she felt now after hearing her mom say she was _happy_ it had helped. Rachel was used to parents holding grudges and being angry for days, and here her mother was acting perfectly normal—no yelling, no silent treatment, not even so much as a stern glare.

Her mother's actions certainly confused her, and while Rachel was waiting for the other shoe to drop, she also felt a glimmer of hope. Perhaps her mom really wasn't like her dads, like she had said earlier. Maybe getting into trouble would be different with her mom—not as big of an ordeal. Sure, Rachel had gotten a spanking and that definitely sucked, but her mom didn't seem to be angry any more. Rachel figured a sore butt was well worth it if it meant she escaped a week's worth of hiding out and waiting, wondering when she would be back in her parent's good graces.

"Hey, kiddo—Earth to Space Cadet," Shelby called.

"Huh—What?" Rachel blinked, her mother's words pulling her back to reality.

"Welcome back," Shelby chuckled. "I asked if chicken Alfredo is good with you?"

"Oh, uh, yeah," Rachel nodded. "I didn't know you could make that."

"I can when it comes in a bag," Shelby laughed as she shook the bag of the frozen pasta dish in front of her. She shut the freezer door and motioned for Rachel to join her at the stove.

Rachel smiled in spite of herself and rounded the island as Shelby grabbed out a large skillet. The teen relaxed as the minutes ticked by, falling into easy conversation with her mom, the events of the day fading into the distance. She had all but forgotten about her sore bottom by the time dinner was ready. That is, until she tried to sit down.

"Ah!" Rachel gasped and sprang up the moment her backside hit the unforgiving seat of her mother's wooden dining chair. Both hands flew back to rub as she glared down at the chair, cursing it under her breath.

"Oh Rach," Shelby said, hurrying to grab a pillow from the sofa. She tossed and caught it several times on her way back to the table in an effort to fluff it up as much as she could before placing it down on her daughter's chair. "That should help."

Rachel's brows furrowed but she didn't question the woman's gesture and eased back down onto the seat. She was able to stay seated for a second longer than before, but it still hurt too much to put all of her weight on her bottom.

"Well, there's only one thing to do," Shelby declared, scrunching her nose up in response to Rachel's pout. Without another word, the mother picked up both plates and walked determinedly back into the kitchen. She set them down at the island and then turned back to Rachel, who was standing besides the dining table with a puzzled expression on her face.

"Grab our drinks," was all Shelby said.

Rachel was still unsure of what her mom was doing, but did as she was told anyway. Her mom smiled at her as she came to stand besides her.

"Dig in," said Shelby as she twirled pasta around her fork.

Rachel looked down at her own plate and then cast a curious glance towards her mom. The woman had put her bite in her mouth and was making a satisfied little "mmm" noise, bobbing her head back and forth gently as she chewed. Rachel felt the edges of her mouth tilt up in a smile and picked up her fork.

Shelby could see her daughter's sly little glances out of the corner of her eye, but she pretended not to as she hummed and nodded her head for the girl's benefit. Sure enough, Rachel smiled and then began to eat.

"How about we pick out a movie after dinner and watch it in bed? Have a nice, quiet night," Shelby suggested lightly.

"A movie?" Rachel asked in surprise.

"It doesn't have to be a movie. We could play a game instead, if you'd like. I've got some cards and, uh…I think Monopoly?"

Rachel stared at her mom as if she came from another planet. The woman kept throwing her curve balls that caught Rachel off guard. She didn't know what to expect next. She had just begun to accept that maybe her mom was no longer angry about everything that happened today, but Rachel assumed Shelby wouldn't want to be with her more than she had to for the rest of the day. Rachel was being punished, after all, and surely a parent didn't want to be around their kid when they had done something wrong…right?

"I didn't think you'd want to…" Rachel trailed off, suddenly realizing what she was saying. She hadn't meant to, but her mouth had started talking before her mind had caught up.

Shelby frowned and turned so that she was facing Rachel. She placed both hands on Rachel's shoulders and stooped down to be at eye level with the girl before saying, "Didn't think I'd want to what, Rach? Spend time with you?"

"No, I…well, yeah," Rachel confessed.

"Oh honey," Shelby soothed, "I always want to spend time with you."

"But I got in so much trouble," Rachel muttered, hanging her head.

"And you were punished and now it's all behind us," Shelby said in a firm but gentle voice. "Rach, once the punishment is over, all's forgiven. We've got a clean slate, kiddo."

Rachel frowned and chewed on her bottom lip. She wasn't accustomed to being forgiven or having a clean slate. Her dads always brought up each and every one of Rachel's wrongdoings whenever she made them angry. She could never get away from her mistakes.

"Rach? Do you understand that?" Shelby asked after a moment.

Rachel's eyes traveled up to her mother's and she nodded her head. "Yes, ma'am, I understand," she said.

"Good," Shelby said, noting the girl's formality. She squeezed the girl's shoulders in reassurance. "I love you so much, Rachel. Nothing you do will ever change that."

"I love you," Rachel replied, letting her mom engulf her in a big hug. She rested her head against her mother's chest and listened to the gentle thump of her heart.

Shelby cradled her daughter's head against her, her thumb stroking the girl's cheek. The two stayed like that for several long minutes, until a hiccup from Rachel broke the silence. Shelby planted a light kiss on top of Rachel's head and then looked down at the girl with a goofy, lopsided grin.

"Alright, enough of this," she said. "Go pick out a movie for us to watch while I clean up the dinner dishes. I'll join you in a minute." She sent Rachel off with a gentle pat to her bottom before heading to the dishwasher with their plates.

Rachel went off to do as she was told, a small frown playing on her lips. She didn't understand, but hoped with some time, she would learn to. And until then, she'd just have to fake it. She wanted to be an actress, after all. This was good practice.

* * *

 **This chapter was an add-in and went well beyond what I had in the original. Because of that, it's affecting the layout of the story. Next chapter will bring in aspects of the original Ch7—the rumors and media buzz from Rachel's little adventure. We'll get to see Rachel's thoughts on the situation, as well as how Shelby handles it. I'm writing the next chapter from the ground up, using the old as a springboard. I hope to have it finished in about the same amount of time I got this chapter done, but no promises. I DO promise to post more sneak peeks on Tumblr, so keep an eye out for that!**


	8. Rumors

**Hello Readers! I know it's been a bit of a wait. I hope those of you that have wanted to checked Tumblr and saw the sneak peeks I was posting. I hope that helps keep you interested. I've got so many new ideas for this story and I'm really hoping the next few chapters will be easier to write. Thank you to each and every one of you that has continued to come back and read my new (old) stuff! If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be doing this. Thank you!**

* * *

 **Chapter Eight: Rumors**

Rachel's eyes fluttered open just as the first tendrils of sunlight crept in through the curtains. She rubbed at the sleep crusted in the corners and yawned, rolling onto her back. She was relieved when there was no lingering pain from the previous day's punishment.

The girl looked over at the peaceful, sleeping form of her mother cocooned inside the down comforter. Without a sound, Rachel inched from the bed and padded across to the closed bedroom door. She eased it open and slipped out into the dark hallway.

The rumble from her stomach led her into the kitchen in search of something to eat. Rachel flipped on the light switch before rummaging through the fridge. She sighed and shut the door, annoyed that there was nothing to eat despite it being full of food. Her search turned to the cabinets above the stove, but they turned up the same thing—a whole lot of nothing.

The refrigerator was once again opened and Rachel stood staring at the shelves as if she looked long enough, something edible—and more importantly, something she liked—would magically appear. When nothing materialized, Rachel decided she'd settle for some toast.

Rachel turned and grabbed the loaf of bread from the counter, putting two slices into the toaster. The fridge was opened for a third time and she pulled out butter and grape jelly, along with the jug of milk.

Rachel poured herself a glass of milk and jumped in surprise when the toast popped up out of the toaster. Blushing, she quickly fixed it how she liked it and went into the living room to find something on TV.

She had flicked through two or three channels when she came upon one of the morning shows and had overheard her mother's name being mentioned. That immediately piqued her interest and she turned the volume up several notches.

 _"Have you seen the front page of_ The Times _this morning, guys?"_ a male anchor asked as he tapped his stack of papers on the desk in front of him. _"Shelby Corcoran's been a hot topic recently for her reunion with teenager daughter, Rachel, and then she announced that she's leaving Broadway—"_

The anchor paused to allow his fellow casters to nod along or add a few words of agreements.

 _"There's been a lot of change for young Rachel—suddenly being thrust into the world of limelight and stardom. That's a lot for anyone to handle, but a fourteen year old kid? It's huge. Anyway, turns out she caught a bit of trouble over the weekend. Paparazzi captured her being rounded up by the police. Still no word on what happened, but here's some photos of the scene."_

A large photo of Rachel surrounded by Officer Stedman and the two officers that came to collect her and take her home appeared onscreen. The girl's mouth dropped open as she stared at the television in shock.

The photo changed and it was now one of Rachel in the back of the squad car, pulling up outside her mother's apartment building. The girl's brain raced as she thought back to the day before; she hadn't noticed any paparazzi, but here were photos of her. When did they see her? And how had she not seen them?

 _"Actually, Phil,"_ the blonde anchor sitting across from the man spoke up, pulling some of her own papers towards her, _"I found a few tabloid stories on this, so take it with a grain of salt, but there's three or so stories that seem to corroborate that Rachel was swarmed by a mass of fans wanting photos with her and that's when the cops got involved."_

 _"Whatever the reason for police involvement, my main question is where was Shelby during this?"_ the third anchor, a pretty brunette, joined in. _"Seems to me, if I had a kid that just came back into my life, I wouldn't let her out of my sight—especially given the added celebrity status. Is Shelby really mother material? What does she know about raising a teenager?"_

Rachel angrily jabbed the up button to switch channels. Who was that woman to say her mom wasn't mother material? Shelby had been doing everything she could to be the very best…she was top mother material. It was Rachel who wasn't daughter material, the girl thought with a pang. She had been screwing up at every turn and now the whole world knew about it.

The teen stared at the commercial now playing on the screen, not really seeing it as her thoughts churned. It wasn't until the program playing—another morning show—came back on that her mind focused again.

The host of this show—a short, portly man in a blue suit—began his new segment on, that's right, Shelby and Rachel. Two new photos of Rachel appeared on screen, one of her sitting by herself listening to the steel drum band's music and the other of her climbing into the back of the police cruiser as the two officers stood around the door, guarding her.

 _"For those of you that follow the Broadway buzz, you know that Shelby Corcoran—two-time Tony Award winning actress and recent star of_ Wicked _—was recently reunited with teenage daughter Rachel after nearly fifteen years apart_ ," the host began.

 _"It's a tale straight out of storybooks, or so they'd have you believe. Corcoran announced her retirement last week, and had her last show this past Saturday. She claims it's to be closer to daughter Rachel and to give the girl a normal childhood—but is that really the case? Sources say things aren't all sunshine and daisies in Shelby's household_ , _and the star is struggling to keep an out-of-control teenager in line. The fourteen year old found herself in hot water over the weekend and was seen taken home by police officers yesterday afternoon after being the cause of a mob scene in Central Park."_

Rachel's heart began beating very quickly as tears welled in her eyes. What was her mother going to say when she found out? It was only a matter of time, after all. Would she kick Rachel out? Rachel had already gotten into so much trouble over yesterday, and now it was ten times worse. At least before when it was just between mother and daughter, there was hope. Now it was all over TV and surely it was going to ruin Shelby's reputation. She'd never be able to work on Broadway again and it was all Rachel's fault!

Rachel heard a loud thump from the back of the apartment and her throat went dry. She then heard her mother's voice. She was yelling what sounded like a lot of curse words. Granted, they were muffled by the closed door, but Rachel had gotten good at determining what adults were yelling no matter where in the house she was.

Not knowing when her mom was going to appear, Rachel ran for the relative safety of the spare bedroom. In her haste to get away, she hadn't realized she knocked over her glass of milk, spilling it all over the floor in front of the sofa. The last bit of it dripped slowly from the coffee table onto the floor.

Shelby had been startled awake by the loud ringing of her phone on the nightstand. She thought she had put it on silent the night before, but apparently not. The woman's eyes popped open and she reached for the phone before it could wake Rachel. It wasn't until she had answered and heard Jackie's serious tone on the other end that she realized Rachel wasn't even in bed.

 _"Shelby, it's everywhere—photos of Rachel from yesterday. The tabloids have taken it and run with it, and it's on almost every channel this morning. The team has been on damage control since we found out about it, but it's big news. I'm sorry,"_ Jackie spoke urgently.

"We have to get a statement out," Shelby said as she leapt out of bed. "What do you sugges—Ow! Fuck!" she yelped as she jammed her toe against the footboard.

 _"Shelby? Are you okay?"_ Jackie asked in alarm.

"Holy fucking ow! Goddammit! Yeah, I kicked the stupid fucking bed!" Shelby exclaimed, bringing her foot up to hold. Her pinky toe was throbbing. If she wasn't angry a minute ago, she was now—both at having to deal with the leaked photos and now her sore toe.

"What are they saying?" Shelby asked, hobbling back to sit on the edge of her bed. She leaned forward to look at her toe that was already turning purple. She sighed; it had to be broken.

 _"That Rachel's out of control and you're not fit to be a mother. And a lot of other stuff that I'd rather not get into right now,"_ Jackie replied. _"I want you to focus on Rachel and let me handle this. I just wanted to give you a heads up so it didn't surprise you."_

"Thanks, Jackie," Shelby sighed. "Keep me updated. I'll go talk to Rachel and make sure she understands that these things happen and we'll get through it."

 _"I will. Let me know if there's anything else I can do to help,"_ Jackie said before ending the call.

Shelby sighed and limped across to the door, calling for Rachel as she opened it. She heard the TV on in the living room and her heart skipped a beat. She heard her name and Rachel's name mentioned and moved as quickly as she could down the hallway.

Shelby stepped into the living room and directly into a cold wet spot on the floor. She looked down and saw the spilled milk everywhere and groaned.

"Dammit," she huffed, her eyes already searching for her daughter. "Rachel!" she called. She needed to find the girl so she could talk to her. No doubt Rachel was confused and hurting.

Rachel sat on the floor, leaned up against the side of the loveseat, with her knees drawn up to her chest. The blinds were still shut, keeping most of the morning light out of the room, and she hadn't bothered turning on the light. She hadn't wanted to give away her hiding spot so easily.

The girl listened with bated breath as her mother yelled in the next bedroom and then heard her stomping down the hallway, calling her name. A moment later, Shelby's voice rose even louder as she yelled out, _"Dammit, Rachel!"_ Rachel ducked her head and felt her heart race, hoping she could avoid her angry mother for a little while longer.

Shelby stalked off to the kitchen to grab paper towels, ignoring the pain in her left toe so she could keep her milk-covered right foot off of the floor as much as possible. After cleaning and drying the milk foot, Shelby made her way back to the living room with the roll of paper towels. She ripped off five sheets and threw them to the floor to soak up the liquid and grabbed another two to wipe down the coffee table.

"Rachel!" she called again as she finished cleaning up the mess.

Shelby straightened and listened for sounds of her daughter and heard none. Her heart jumped into her throat as the events from yesterday replayed in her head. But surely Rachel hadn't gone off again…had she?

"Of course she didn't," Shelby scolded herself, dropping the wet paper towels on the coffee table; she'd finish cleaning it up later.

Rachel heard her name being called a third time and her heart pounded against her ribcage. She argued with herself over whether or not to seek out her mom. She didn't want to face the woman when she was storming around the house yelling, but the longer she waited, the worse it would be.

Before she had made her final decision, the door opened and light from the hallway spilled into the room. Rachel jumped and covered her mouth to stifle her gasp.

"Rachel, are you in here?" Shelby called, her eyes searching the dim room. Her heart thudded in her chest as her anxiety mounted.

Rachel sat as still as she could, not daring to even breathe. She screamed at herself to stand and show herself, but her body remained fixed to her spot, hidden from view.

"Rachel, baby, where are you?" Shelby called as she turned from the doorway. "Please be here," she added with a desperate plea, her voice cracking.

Rachel watched her mother turn from the room with a pang of guilt. She sounded like she was about to cry. The girl had really screwed things up this time.

With a heavy heart, Rachel stood on shaky legs. Her mother was already pulling the door shut, the light casting a yellow beam on the floor; it dwindled to a mere sliver as the door hurried along its path.

Her brain screamed at her to move and Rachel stepped forward, trying to find her voice.

"M-Mom, wait," Rachel managed, her voice so low she wasn't sure she had spoken it out loud.

Shelby's phone rang and startled the woman; her hand dropped from the doorknob, leaving the door cracked an inch or two. She fumbled in her pocket, her fingers closing around it. She looked at the screen, thinking it was Jackie with more news. Her heart lurched as her parents' number appeared along with "Home". She sighed; this could only mean one thing.

"Hi, Mom," Shelby breathed, steeling herself for the onslaught. "Now's not really a good time."

It was always the same whenever a negative story broke out on the news—Diane wanted to know all of the details. No matter how many times Shelby told her to ignore what she heard, her mother insisted on believing the media. She even kept up with all of the crazy rumors, despite Shelby's best efforts.

Diane was already deep into her rant, asking question after question. Shelby sighed and rolled her eyes as she tried to get a word in. She didn't have time for this right now.

"Mom, I'm going to have to call you back," she began. "I have to find Rachel and—"

 _"You will not call me back, Shelby. We're going to talk about this now—and what do you mean you have to find Rachel? Where is she?"_ Diane demanded.

"Mom—"

 _"I saw pictures of Rachel in a police car, Shelby! What is going on?"_ Diane continued, her voice firm.

Shelby ran her hand over her face as she listened to her mother rave. "Mom, I'll explain everything later. Right now I really need to find Rachel and have a talk with her."

Rachel gulped. Her mother's words echoed in her head as she thought back on yesterday. Shelby had told her they were going to have a talk then too, and that had ended with Rachel draped across the woman's knees.

 _"Where were you yesterday when all of this happened? They're saying you weren't even_ there _when Rachel was taken into police custody. And what is this about a mob I've been hearing about?"_ Diane fired, ignoring Shelby's attempts to end the conversation. She wasn't going to be deterred that easily.

"Mom," Shelby groaned.

 _"Don't you 'Mom' me, Shelby Elizabeth,"_ the older woman scolded.

Shelby rolled her eyes and sighed into the phone, earning herself another reprimand. Accepting defeat, she gave her mother the abbreviated version.

 _"How did you handle it?"_ was Diane's first question as soon as Shelby finished speaking.

"We talked and I made it clear that she's not to go off on her own like that ever again. And she understands that she needs to ask permission before she does things and isn't allowed to take money or credit cards from my purse," Shelby explained.

 _"Is that all?"_ asked Diane. _"Shelby, if you don't put your foot down now and make it clear to her that you are the parent and authority figure, she'll walk all over you. I told you before you can't be her friend. There will be time for that later. Right now that girl needs a mother—and a good spanking."_

"I handled it, Mom," she ground out. She loved her mother dearly, but sometimes the woman was too nosey. She had never learned when to keep out of a situation—especially when it came to Shelby.

 _"Yes, but_ how?"

"That's between Rachel and me," Shelby said pointedly.

 _"Now Shelby—"_

"No, Mom," Shelby cut the older woman off, "I seem to remember you telling us that punishments were kept between the parent and whoever was in trouble. It's a good rule, one that I'm going to keep."

 _"That's—that's hardly the same,"_ Diane faltered.

"Sure it isn't," Shelby laughed, immensely pleased with herself. She loved when she pulled one over on her mother, even at this age.

 _"Shelby,"_ Diane warned, and Shelby could feel her mother's raised eyebrow all the way through the phone. _"I'm only trying to help you. I can't do that if you don't tell me everything that happened,"_ she added.

"I told you what happened, Ma," Shelby replied, rolling her eyes. "Now I've got to go. I've got a lot of stuff to deal with over here."

 _"Shelby,"_ Diane repeated.

"Bye, Mom. I love you!"

 _"Shelby, don't you dare—"_

"Goodbye, Mother," Shelby smiled, ending the call. She sighed and leaned against the wall as she collected her thoughts.

Shelby closed her eyes and wished she could forget about her phone calls this morning. She had been looking forward to a quiet day with Rachel and that had all been ruined before she even had a sip of coffee. There were times when she really hated her celebrity status. What she wouldn't give for a bit of anonymity right now.

With another sigh, Shelby pushed herself up and moved towards the bedroom looking for her daughter. A quick search and she was back in the hallway, this time heading towards the bathroom that she could already see was empty.

Despite knowing her child wasn't in the bathroom, Shelby checked anyway—just in case—and stomped back out into the hall. She stopped in the middle, her hands finding their way to her hips as she furrowed her brow in thought. Where could her kid _be?_ She had searched all over creation yesterday for her and hoped she wouldn't have to do that again today.

"Rachel!" Shelby called once more, her anxiety rising. She started towards the living room, muttering to herself. Her thoughts began to run away from her and she felt just as helpless as she did yesterday.

"I swear to God if she isn't in this house," she mumbled, "Just wait—she won't sit for a week when I get my hands on her."

Shelby jumped in surprise as the office door was flung open and she spun to come face to face with a nervous looking Rachel. Her face lit up and she breathed a sigh of relief, her anxiety leaving her body as quickly as it came.

"Rachel!" she exclaimed, her arm reaching out to pull her daughter to her. "There you are!"

Rachel squeaked and instinctually threw her hand back to protect her bottom.

Shelby wrapped her arms around the girl and held her tightly, kissing her head repeatedly.

Rachel frowned but couldn't help relaxing in her mother's arms. She felt safe here, loved. In this moment, it didn't matter if her mom was angry and upset with her. She had been angry and upset yesterday, and they had gotten through that. Perhaps they could do it again today.

Shelby pulled back and met Rachel's dark eyes, the back of her fingers stroking the girl's cheek. "Come with me," she said, taking her daughter's hand, "We need to have a talk."

Rachel felt her heart race and looked down to see if she could see it beating out of her chest. She gulped and dragged her feet as she was led closer and closer to her mother's bed.

Shelby sat and pulled Rachel down besides her, taking a moment to prepare herself. She wasn't sure how she was going to explain everything to Rachel; she could tell the girl was upset and confused. A wave of guilt washed over the mother for having exposed Rachel to this sort of life—it wasn't at all fair to the girl. She shouldn't have to deal with paparazzi and tabloid stories; growing up was hard enough without that added stress. She sighed and contented herself with the knowledge that they'd soon be back in Ohio and could settle into a relatively quiet life in the suburbs.

"Rachel," Shelby said with a long sigh, her fingers finding their way to her temples. She was beginning with a migraine.

Rachel gulped and shifted nervously next to her mother. Tears appeared and she sniffed to keep her nose from running. She thought back to yesterday when her mom had come in to talk to her and she had been ready and willing to fight. Today all she wanted to do was cry and get everything over with. She wanted her mom to hold her and tell her she loved her. She wanted things to go back to how they were before any of this happened.

The seconds crawled by and Shelby still hadn't said anything. Rachel couldn't take it anymore and her words tumbled out of her mouth unchecked.

"M-M-Mom, I'm so sorry! I'm s-s-sorry!" she wailed, choking on her sobs. Her dam had opened and big, fat tears fell from her lashes and raced down her cheeks.

Shelby jumped in surprise at Rachel's sudden emotions and her heart constricted. The teen's pain was palpable, and settled on Shelby's shoulders like a ton of bricks.

"Rachel, baby," she breathed, trying to infuse all of her love for the girl in those two words. Her arms reached out and pulled her daughter close and she held her tight.

"Oh honey, don't cry," her voice cracked, "You have nothing to be sorry for. None of this is your fault."

Rachel's cries turned shrill. "B-but it _is_ m-my fault!" she wailed.

"No, baby, it isn't," Shelby affirmed, pulling back so she could look into her daughter's eyes. "Tabloid stories happen—it's an occupational hazard. I'm so sorry you have to experience this."

"None of this would have ha-happened if I h-hadn't gone o-o-out! I've ruined e-ev-everything!" Rachel sputtered.

"You did no such thing!" Shelby said firmly, hooking her finger under Rachel's chin when the girl tried to look away.

"But I was b-brought home by the cops and t-t-they said I'm out of con-control and you're a b-bad mother!"

"None of that is true, Rachel. It's all talk. Don't you pay any attention to what you heard—it's all lies."

"But Mom—"

"No buts," Shelby cut the girl off. "Now stop crying, you're going to make yourself sick."

"But you're mad at me!" Rachel sobbed, wiping at her face with the back of her hand.

"What? I'm not mad at you, Rach," Shelby said, tucking Rachel's hair behind her ears. "Why do you think I'm mad?"

"I k-know you are! I heard you s-say 'dammit, Rachel'," she said.

"Oh honey, I didn't say 'dammit, Rachel'. I stepped in spilled milk and cursed, and then I called out your name because I didn't know where you were and I wanted to make sure you were okay," Shelby explained.

"But then you t-told Nana that you needed to ha-have a talk with m-me. You said the same t-thing yesterday when I was in trouble and you sp-spanked me! And now I've m-messed up even more!" Rachel wailed, her body shaking from her sobs.

Shelby's heart broke at her girl's cries and she quickly pulled Rachel onto her lap so she could wrap her arms completely around her.

"Rach, you haven't messed anything up—"

"I h-h-have!" the girl insisted. Her cries became more anguished and she began to cough between sobs. Exhausted, she lay her head on her mother's shoulder and closed her sore, swollen eyes.

"My sweet little girl," Shelby cooed, rubbing the girl's back, "You've heard a lot of things this morning, and none of them are what you think. I'll explain everything, but you need to calm down, okay? No more tears."

"Hush now, that's it," Shelby soothed as Rachel's tears slowed. "Take deep breaths."

"My throat hurts," Rachel rasped, rubbing at her eyes.

Shelby nodded and helped Rachel stand in front of her before standing herself. "I'll go get you something to drink. Why don't you wash your face while I'm doing that, hmm?"

Rachel nodded and headed into the bathroom while Shelby turned for the door. She returned to the room and had just taken a seat on the bed when her mom came back with a glass of apple juice for her. She gulped half of it down before her mother's fingers had even left the glass.

"Hey, slow down," Shelby cautioned, taking the drink back. She set it on the nightstand and then sat next to Rachel. "Are you ready to listen to what I'm about to say? I need you to pay close attention."

Rachel nodded and Shelby answered with a kiss to the girl's head.

"First thing's first," Shelby began. "I am not—not even the slightest, teeny tiniest bit—mad at you, Rachel. I'm mad that there are stories and photos of you going around right now, but that isn't your fault—"

"It is my fault! I snuck out and that's why they have those photos," Rachel interrupted, her eyes glazing over with tears once again.

"Oh Rach, they were going to get photos of you eventually. It has nothing to do with yesterday," said Shelby.

"But I got into so much trouble yesterday! I snuck out and took your credit card and—and then I was swarmed and the cops brought me home. And now there's photos out and you may not be mad, but I heard you, Mom, you're gonna spank me because I messed up again!" Rachel lamented, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand.

"What? Rach! I'm not going to spank you!" Shelby exclaimed, her heart aching. Rachel stared back with a stunned expression, sending another painful jolt through her. "Why do you think that?"

Rachel was surprised to hear she wasn't going to be spanked and her eyes darted up to meet her mother's. "I heard you. You said you were gonna make sure I don't sit for a week!" she exclaimed.

Shelby's stomach dropped as guilt overwhelmed her. She had said that, but she had been talking to herself and never meant for Rachel to hear.

"Oh Rach," she breathed. "I'm so sorry, baby. I was thinking about yesterday and how worried I was when I couldn't find you. I thought for a minute that you had gone off again and I was talking to myself. I never meant for you to hear me say that."

Relief overwhelmed Rachel and she dropped her shoulders with a sigh, the tension rolling off her back. One thing still bothered her, but she wasn't sure if she should ask. Another sigh escaped her lips as she focused on her hands, interlocking her fingers over and over.

"Mom?" she rasped, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"Hmm?" Shelby hummed, reaching out to tuck the curtain of hair that had fallen in front of Rachel's face behind her ear.

"Would you, um…really d-do that—spank me so I can't sit for a…a week?" Rachel asked meekly.

The girl's stomach flipped at the very idea of what sort of spanking that would be like. She had thought the one she received yesterday had been awful, and she had only been sore for a few hours afterwards. She couldn't imagine being sore for days on end!

The question hit Shelby like a ton of bricks and she felt the air leave her lungs. "Oh no. No, honey!" she assured quickly. "It's an expression—a phrase."

"Oh," Rachel said, letting out a deep breath. "I guess I've just never heard that before."

"I'm sorry I worried you," said Shelby, her mind taking her back to the night Rachel had a nightmare about Diane's slipper. Rachel had been worried that night, just as she was now.

It dawned on Shelby that there were so many things that she took for granted with Rachel. How she wished her girl had grown up with her and been a part of the crazy Corcoran family from the beginning. Shelby was left with the task of teaching her daughter the ins and outs of this family, and that wasn't something she was sure could be taught in a crash course. How was she ever going to make Rachel understand everything?

"It's okay," Rachel shrugged.

She grew quiet and looked down at her hands, her thoughts swirling inside her head. After what seemed like a very long time, Rachel glanced up at her mom, her eyes swimming with tears.

"Mom…I'm so confused," she whispered.

Shelby reached out to brush away the tears making their way down her daughter's cheeks before leaning forward to plant a kiss to the girl's head.

"Rach, I know it's confusing and you shouldn't have to be dealing with any of this, but I'm going to do my best to explain," Shelby spoke gently, her hand coming to rest on top of Rachel's. "Let's talk a bit about yesterday. It was a mess, wasn't it?"

Rachel merely nodded, sniffing all the while. She focused on her mother's hand on hers, comforted by the weight of it. It was such a simple gesture, but it was enough to let Rachel know she wasn't alone and her mom cared about her.

"Okay, so let's go back to the talk we had yesterday for a minute. Do you understand what you did wrong and why you were punished?"

"Yes. I snuck out and you didn't know where I was, and I took your credit card and that was stealing," Rachel said and Shelby nodded along.

"Right, and—"

"And then those people wanted pictures and the cops brought me home—"

"Whoa, hang on," Shelby cut her child off. "Those things are separate issues."

"Yeah, but—"

"Rach, regardless of what else happened yesterday, you were always going to be in trouble with me for sneaking out and taking my credit card. If the swarm and the police hadn't happened, you still would have been in trouble—Hell, you'd have been in trouble if you had done this back in Ohio. Do you understand that?"

"But if I hadn't had gone out, those things wouldn't have happened and there wouldn't be photos of me in the back of the cop car," Rachel said.

"Being swarmed by all those people and then being brought home by the police was awful—I know you were scared and anxious when that was happening. That doesn't have anything to do with you getting into trouble though. Those things were out of your control…unlike your choices that lead you there. Does that make sense?"

"But the photos…"

"We'll talk about the photos in a minute," Shelby said, running her thumb across the back of Rachel's hand. "I need you to first understand why you were in trouble to begin with."

"I get that part, Mom," Rachel complained.

"Listen to me anyway," Shelby sighed and Rachel echoed with one of her own. "Two things happened yesterday—you broke my rules and were punished for it, and then paparazzi caught some photos of you. These things are separate and don't have anything to do with one another. Can you agree with that?"

Rachel frowned as she considered her mother. She shook her head slightly. It still didn't make sense to her. "But…I got into trouble and that's why there's photos of me…" she trailed off, blinking away tears.

Shelby sighed and moved her hands to either side of Rachel's shoulders. "Oh Rach, they didn't get them because you were in trouble. No one but you and I know that you were out without permission or anything like that—and you have already been punished for that and it's completely behind us. I don't want you worrying about that, okay?"

"Okay," Rachel nodded doubtfully.

"As for the paparazzi, if it hadn't been this, they would have found something else. And it wouldn't have mattered to them what you were doing. You could have been feeding ducks at a pond and they would've turned around and said you were killing them by giving them bread. Do you see? Tabloids and those dumb entertainment shows are _always_ going to find something negative to say."

"But I've ruined your reputation! They're saying horrible things about you!" Rachel worried.

"I don't care what they say about me, baby. No one pays attention to what these jerks say—and if they do, they aren't the type of people I want to associate with anyway," Shelby promised, brushing Rachel's hair away from her face.

"What if you can't get another part on Broadway because of me?" Rachel whimpered, her tears falling faster.

"Oh honey," Shelby couldn't help but chuckle, "It doesn't matter to me if I _never_ get another part. The best part I'll ever get to play is my role as your mother."

Rachel let out a pitiful sob and exclaimed, "I'm ruining your life!"

"Now wait just a minute, young lady," Shelby said, her voice stern, "You haven't ruined my life. You _are_ my life."

"But Mom—"

"No, you listen," Shelby ordered. "My first priority is you. Everything else comes after."

"I've definitely never heard that before!" Rachel wailed, flinging herself into her mother's arms. She cried hard into Shelby's shoulder, soaking her t-shirt within seconds.

Shelby choked back her own sobs as she pulled Rachel onto her lap and wrapped her arms around her girl. "Rachel, please don't cry," she begged.

She held Rachel close and rocked her, telling the girl she loved her over and over again. As Rachel's tears began to slow, Shelby moved them further back on the bed and lay down with Rachel curling into her side. Shelby's arms never left Rachel's small frame, providing comfort and safety.

Rachel stayed snuggled in her mother's arms long after her tears had stopped. It had been a long morning, and it was barely nine o'clock. Her mouth opened in a wide yawn and her eyes grew increasingly heavy. The gentle touch of her mother's fingers gliding over her hair eased her into a peaceful sleep.

When Rachel awoke, the room was quiet and her mother was nowhere to be found. The girl rubbed at her eyes as she sat up and then stretched. A quick glance at the digital clock on her mother's nightstand told her it was quarter after eleven; she'd get up and look for her mom. She was getting hungry, after all.

As Rachel neared the bedroom door, she could hear voices coming from the living room. She peeked her head out and listened for a moment; she recognized the woman's voice right away, but there was also a man's that she didn't know. Curious, she made her way down the hall.

Shelby looked up from the sofa as she heard the floor creak and smiled when Rachel appeared from the hallway. "Hey honey," she called, "Sleep okay?"

"Yeah," said Rachel, plopping down next to her mom. She smiled and greeted Jackie, her mom's publicist, who was sitting on the other side of the woman. Her eyes then turned to the man across from them and offered him a smile as well.

He was a very nice looking young man in his late twenties. He had reddish-brown hair and dark eyes. He returned Rachel's smile with a warm one of his own.

"Rach, this is Hank Jones. He's the man behind my social media presence. He's amazing. Hank, this is my Rachel," Shelby said.

"Rachel, it's nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you," Hank said, leaning forward to offer the teen his hand.

"I hope it hasn't been from today," Rachel deadpanned.

"Not from today, I promise," Hank chuckled as he sat back.

"Rachel, I know this must be hard for you, all the trash that has come out today. I want you to know that it's my job—and Hank's and the rest of the wonderful team your mother has working for her—to make sure we spin this into something positive. These things happen, but I want you to know that the stories are lies and fake and don't represent who you really are," said Jackie.

"They blow over in a matter of days—sometimes not even that long," Hank added. "In a way, it's good this story broke at the beginning of the week. By the time Thursday and Friday roll around, there's going to have been so many other stories hit that no one will remember this little one."

Shelby smiled, grateful for the encouraging words Jackie and Hank were giving Rachel; she hoped Rachel would feel more at ease after hearing things would be okay from someone other than herself.

Rachel nodded but didn't say anything; she wasn't sure what _to_ say. Luckily, she didn't have to figure it out because in the next second, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" she yelled, already running for the door. She flung it open and let out a surprised squeal. "Aunt Sasha! What are you doing here?"

"I come bearing gifts," Sasha declared, holding a large white box above her head as Rachel hugged her. "Shelbs! Come help me with your kid!"

Shelby was already halfway to them when she heard Rachel say Sasha's name; she laughed at the sight of her daughter squeezing Sasha hard around the middle while the woman held what looked like a cake box in the air above them. She hurried to grab the box from her friend and shut the door before rescuing Sasha from Rachel's hold.

"Rach, let Aunt Sasha breathe for a minute," she laughed, untangling one of the girl's arms from Sasha's waist. She pulled Rachel with her towards the kitchen, Sasha following behind.

"What's in the box?" Rachel asked as she bounced towards the counter, trying to get a good look at it.

"This is a surprise," Shelby said at the same time, giving Sasha a quick hug.

"I figured you two could use a pick-me-up, and what better way than to see me? And also, cheesecake," Sasha answered. She flipped up the lid of the box to reveal a fudge-swirled, chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake—Shelby's favorite.

Rachel's eyes lit up as she reached over to steal a bit of the fudge piping along the top of the cake. She was going in for a second taste when her mother caught her. A quick slap to the back of her hand had Rachel pulling back with a pout.

"You can wait," said Shelby.

"But Mom, I'm hungry!" Rachel whined, reaching for the cheesecake again. She managed to get a bit more of the fudge frosting before her mom shut the lid.

"We'll have lunch in a minute. Sasha, you're in charge," Shelby said as she headed back into the living room.

Rachel turned to her aunt with a glint in her eye and a crooked little smile. "Aunt Sasha," she wheedled, sliding up next to the woman.

Sasha sighed as she looked into the big eyes of the tiny teen snuggling up close to her. She knew she was in trouble. "Come on, I'll get the plates," she conceded.

"Looks like you've got your hands full," Jackie said when Shelby reentered the living room. "I think we've talked about everything we need to. I can call you later if we've missed anything."

"Think about what I suggested, Shelby," Hank added as he and Jackie stood. "A few quick pictures of you and Rachel that we can post on your social media would help calm everything down a lot faster."

"I'll definitely take it into consideration. I don't want Rachel's image out there more than it has to be," Shelby answered, walking the two to the door. "I appreciate everything you both are doing for me. I know this isn't the sort of thing we wanted to happen so soon."

"Don't worry about it, Shelbs," said Jackie with a wave of her hand. "The sooner these things can happen and be over with, the better. Before long, you'll be so boring, you'll want a bit of tabloid action."

"I doubt that!" Shelby laughed. "Thanks again, guys."

When Shelby returned to the kitchen a moment later, she wasn't at all surprised to see that Rachel and Sasha had gotten into the cheesecake. She rolled her eyes and took the piece Sasha offered her without a word.

"Cheesecake for lunch is a great idea," Rachel smirked as her mom took her first bite.

Shelby brought another mouthful of creamy cheesecake to her lips, savoring the sweetness. It had been a long day and this hit the spot. Her eyes closed almost of their own accord and when she opened them, Rachel was looking at her with an impish grin.

"This is a special case," she said. "I'm gonna make you eat a big plate of asparagus for dinner to make up for it."

"There's no need to be cruel, Shelby!" Sasha gasped, sharing a look with Rachel.

"The joke's on Mom, really," Rachel smirked. "I like asparagus."

Sasha squealed and slapped her hand down on the counter before pointing a finger at Shelby. "You've been outdone!" she laughed.

"Both of you just eat your cheesecake," Shelby rolled her eyes.

Rachel smiled as she watched her mom and aunt banter back and forth. For the first time today, she was feeling like things had gone back to normal. She happily followed the two women into the living room once they finished their "lunch".

"So how many times have you heard from Erma Furr today?" Sasha winked at her best friend as she flopped back on the sofa.

"Officially, once. She called this morning and we talked for a bit before I hung up on her. She's left me a bunch of messages, but I'm ignoring that for now," Shelby replied as she followed suit.

"Wow. That's brave. I don't envy you the inevitable phone call you'll have to have with her."

"I'm hoping by the time I talk to her again, things will have died down and she'll have something new to bitch about. But you know good ol' Erma," said Shelby.

"Who's Erma Furr?" Rachel asked as she settled in between the adults.

Shelby and Sasha shared a look and then burst into laughter. After the day Shelby had, it felt good to laugh. The glare her daughter was giving her only made her cackle louder.

"Who is she?" Rachel whined. She wanted to be let in on the joke and didn't appreciate her mother and aunt's behavior at the moment.

"Shelby, you haven't told her?" Sasha said while Shelby tried to calm her giggles. "It's your—"

"Wait!" Shelby sobered immediately. "Before we tell this story, you have to promise this stays between us, Rachel. This is very important."

Rachel sat up straighter and gave her mom a solemn look. "I promise," she breathed. She was excited to know what the secret was, and it must be something good if her mom was acting this way.

"It's Nana," said Shelby.

Rachel's face fell and she huffed angrily. "Come on! I thought you were being serious!" she whined.

"No, really," Sasha confirmed. "That's what I thought Shelby's mom said on the phone once and it became her codename."

Rachel leveled her aunt with a skeptical look. "How did you mistake Erma for Diane?"

"It was loud when it happened!" Sasha claimed.

"They sound nothing alike," Rachel rolled her eyes.

"Let's not forget you were three sheets to the wind," Shelby chuckled and threw her hand up at the pillow that came sailing her way.

Rachel frowned and looked back and forth between the two women. "What does that mean?"

"She was drunk," Shelby explained.

"I was not! The whole place was shaking with the music. You couldn't even hear yourself think!" Sasha insisted.

"So what happened?" Rachel asked impatiently.

"Well, your mom had picked up an extra shift at the diner she worked at, leaving me alone at the dorms. It was halfway through our first semester freshmen year, so I hadn't met her parents yet and I didn't know their names or anything.

"There was a huge party happening that night—the whole floor was involved in it. Music was blaring from everywhere and some rooms had karaoke set up. Plus there was this whole beer pong tournament set up and we—"

"Ahem," Shelby cleared her throat and raised an eyebrow at her friend. There were some things her impressionable fourteen-year-old didn't need to hear about right now, and a beer pong tournament that Sasha had dominated was one of those things. That was a story for another time—like when Rachel was thirty.

"Oh—uh—anyway," Sasha began again, taking note of Shelby's warning, "Huge party, lots of noise. I had a good time—a really good time—but then I decided to go back to my room and call it a night.

"The phone starts ringing and I stumble over to get it. It's this lady on the phone and I couldn't hear what she was saying. She said she was calling for Shelby. I asked what her name was and—uh—I guess I asked a few times. She was yelling and I heard her say 'Erma Furr'. I found out later that what she was actually saying was _'her mother'_."

"Oh no," Rachel giggled, "I can't imagine Nana liked that conversation very much!"

"No, she didn't. Mom called me the next day and told me to pack my bags because she was coming up there to bring me home," Shelby recalled.

"What? Why?" Rachel gasped.

"She said she knew there was a party going on the night before and my roommate was clearly drunk and her and Dad weren't going to pay for me to go to a party school," Shelby rolled her eyes.

"Nana's really dramatic," said Rachel.

Shelby laughed and nodded. "Very."

"So what happened?" Rachel asked.

"I called your grandfather and got him to talk sense into Nana—he's good at that. And they came up a few weeks later and I introduced them to Sasha and Nana loved her."

"She did give me an hour long lecture on drinking though," Sasha groaned.

"I don't know what you're complaining about. I had to listen to it too," Shelby laughed.

"Anyway, that's how Erma Furr started. Ever since then, that's what we've called your Nana. But she doesn't know and we'd like to keep it that way," Sasha said.

"I won't tell," Rachel promised, crossing her heart for emphasis.

"Welcome to the club, kid," Sasha smiled, thumping Rachel on the shoulder good-naturedly. "And a further welcome to the club is in order with those photos that came out, huh?"

The smile that had been on Rachel's face fell and a blush rose in her cheeks. She fidgeted on the cushion and refused to meet her aunt's eyes.

Shelby sighed and furrowed her brows, silently questioning Sasha. Her friend shook her head and Shelby nodded. Shelby trusted Sasha with her life; whatever she had tucked up her sleeve, she would let her follow through.

"Hey, kiddo," Sasha began gently, reaching her hand out to rest on Rachel's shoulder. "There's nothing to be embarrassed or upset about. These things happen all the time and you know what? It's not the end of the world."

"It feels like it," Rachel whispered.

"I know it does," Sasha agreed. "It sucks right now. I've been there, your mom's been there—hell, even Barbra Streisand has been there. It's going to blow over in a few days and in two weeks no one will even remember what happened."

"Really?" Rachel asked, eyes flicking up to meet Sasha's.

"Really," Sasha confirmed. "And, you know, you aren't a real celebrity until you've had tabloid stories come out about you. So you're ahead of the game for when you're on Broadway yourself."

Rachel's face lit up and she sprang into Sasha's arms, hugging her tightly. "Thanks for making me feel better, Aunt Sash!" she smiled.

Sasha's heart fluttered and she met Shelby's eyes over Rachel's shoulder. She winked at her and then turned her head to kiss Rachel's cheek.

"You're welcome, kiddo."

Shelby smiled and mouthed a 'Thank you' to Sasha as Rachel pulled away from the woman.

"So what do you girls say to a movie?"

"Sounds good to me," Sasha agreed.

 _"Funny Girl?"_ Rachel suggested excitedly.

"How about we give that one a rest?" Shelby said and Rachel's shoulder's slumped as she pouted. "We could watch _Yentl_."

Rachel let out an involuntary squeal as she jumped off the sofa to get the DVD ready. Shelby smiled and shook her head at the girl's antics, pleased that she was back to her normal self.

"I'm gonna go get a glass of water. Would anyone like anything?" Shelby said as she stood and stretched.

Rachel turned from her spot on the floor to look up at her mom sweetly. "I'm hungry," she mentioned.

"You're hungry? You just had cheesecake!" Shelby laughed.

Rachel shrugged and smiled sheepishly. "I guess it wasn't that great for lunch, huh?"

"I'll make you some asparagus," Shelby replied.

"Mom," the girl whined.

Shelby's laugh tinkled like a bell. "What would you like then?"

"Will you make me grilled cheese?"

"I'll make you grilled cheese," Shelby nodded. "Sash?"

"Grilled cheese sounds good. I'll come help you," Sasha answered, standing and following her friend into the kitchen.

"Mom, can I play on your phone?" Rachel called.

"Go ahead, honey!" Shelby returned before turning to Sasha. "You didn't need to help me, you know. It'll only take a few minutes to make the sandwiches."

"I know, but I wanted to see how you were doing," Sasha said, wrapping her arms around Shelby and hugging her tightly.

Shelby sighed and let her guard down for a moment, allowing herself to feel all of the emotions coursing through her.

"I'd like to strangle every single person responsible for those photos and stories that came out. I'm so angry that Rachel has to deal with any of it. And I'm feeling overwhelmingly guilty for putting her in this circumstance in the first place. And sad that she has to go through this—she was so distraught this morning over everything. I'm still not sure she completely understands," she confessed, her voice cracking.

"It'll blow over. You know how these things go. You've been through it before," Sasha soothed.

"Never with Rachel though. I'd do absolutely anything to protect her. She's my heart walking around on the outside of my body, Sash. I love her so much it hurts. And this is killing me, watching the media tear her apart like—like she's some animal. It's disgusting. And I don't know what to do," Shelby said, tears trickling down her cheeks. She sniffed and wiped them away, but more fell.

"I know. I wish I could take it all away for you. You're doing everything you can. You are going to be fine and Rachel is going to be _fine_. I know Jackie is going to spin this into something positive, she always does. This will just be a little blimp in your life with Rachel. It's all going to blow over, you'll see," said Sasha.

Shelby nodded and took a deep breath. She couldn't fall apart right now. She needed to be strong for Rachel. She needed to make grilled cheese sandwiches. _Pull it together, Shelby,_ she said to herself.

"Jackie wrote up a kick-ass statement," Shelby conceded as she pulled out the frying pan.

"Good," Sasha nodded, going to the fridge for butter and cheese. She set them on the counter and turned back to Shelby.

"And Hank said I should think about taking some photos of me and Rach—you know, normal everyday life stuff—so he can post those on Facebook and Twitter and where the hell ever else," she continued.

"That's a good idea," said Sasha.

"Yeah," Shelby sighed, staring at the pad of butter now melting in the pan. "I'm not sure I want to do that though. I don't want Rachel out there for all the world to see…"

"She already is, though. Better for fans to see something that's come from you than from those jackasses out there, you know?"

Sasha passed Shelby the first sandwich, listening to it sizzle in the pan as she waited for her friend to respond.

"I've never felt so…so _helpless_ before, Sash," said Shelby, hazel eyes meeting bright green.

Sasha frowned and nodded her understanding. Reaching forward, she placed her hand on Shelby's shoulder and squeezed gently.

"You've got so many people that love you, Shelbs. You've got me here in the city, and your family at home—even crazy Erma. We're all here for whatever you need."

A few more tears fell from Shelby's eyes as she smiled at her friend. "I know. I love you."

"Love you too," said Sasha. "Now stop crying and pay attention to the sandwich before you burn it!"

Shelby laughed and her eyes blurred, but she couldn't deny that she felt better after her little talk with Sasha. She quickly flipped the sandwich, relieved that it hadn't, in fact, burned. The other side sizzled and browned much faster than the first. A second and then third sandwich was grilled and plated and the two women returned to the living room to find Rachel engrossed in a game on Shelby's phone.

Afternoon eased into evening and Sasha said her goodbyes after dinner, which she insisted on making for them. Shelby was thankful for the distractions Sasha provided and by the time it was just her and Rachel again, she felt more at ease with everything.

Shelby sat with Rachel curled up into her side on the sofa as she flipped through the photos that Sasha had just sent to her.

"I didn't know she took these. That one's nice," said Rachel, pointing to the candid Sasha had snapped of mother and daughter snuggled under a blanket while they watched the movie.

"Your aunt is sneaky," Shelby commented, swiping to the next photo. This one captured the next moment, Rachel's head resting on Shelby's shoulder as Shelby leaned in to place a kiss to her daughter's forehead.

It was quiet as they looked through the last two photos and Shelby sat her phone on her lap. "Rach?" she said.

"Yeah?" asked Rachel, tilting her head up towards her mother's.

"How would you feel about one or two of these photos being posted on some of my pages?"

Rachel moved to sit upright and look at Shelby properly. "Why?"

"Well, when Hank was here earlier, he mentioned that it'd be a good idea to post a few personal pictures of you and me, to help settle things down faster," Shelby explained.

"Would that work? I mean, wouldn't people say stuff about that too?" Rachel questioned.

"They could," Shelby agreed. "But this would be on our terms. And it shows them that we aren't going to be affected by what they say about us."

"Oh," said Rachel, her wheels turning.

"We don't have to do it. It was only a suggestion from Hank. In the end, it's our decision," said Shelby.

"Our decision?" Rachel echoed, her brows knitted. "But, I…You're the mom."

Shelby let out a small laugh and reached for her daughter's hand. "I am," she agreed. "But this decision affects you just as much as it does me, and you should have a say in it."

Rachel smiled and clambered onto her mom's lap. She threw her arms around Shelby's neck and rested her forehead against her mother's.

"In that case, I say we do it!"

Shelby laughed and patted Rachel's bottom. "Okay, let's do it!"

Bedtime was fast approaching and Shelby sat on her bed waiting for Rachel to be done in the bathroom. Her thoughts replayed every moment of the day and there was one thing that still bothered her.

"Mom, I'm really not tired yet. Can't we watch another movie?" Rachel said as she came padding over to the bed in another one of Shelby's NYU shirts. This one was the bright violet school color with _'NYU Violets'_ across the front and the large white Bobcat emblazoned on the back. It had become Rachel's favorite.

"Once you lay down, I'm sure you'll be exhausted," Shelby said, moving to prop up against the headboard as she patted the spot next to her.

Rachel climbed into bed and settled in next to her mother. "But I'm really not—" she began only to be overcome with a big yawn. "Okay, so maybe I'm a little tired," she added sheepishly.

Shelby laughed and wrapped an arm around Rachel, pulling her close. She opened her mouth to respond and her phone rang.

"Ugh, mother, it's almost eleven at night! Give it a rest!" she huffed, staring down at her screen. She quickly ignored the call and then turned the phone off. She'd deal with that tomorrow.

Shelby tossed her phone onto the nightstand and then readjusted herself and Rachel. "So Rach," she began again, "I was thinking about this morning."

"About what?"

"Well, I remember I couldn't find you and I looked everywhere. Then all of a sudden you appeared. Where were you?"

"I was in the—uh—the…office," Rachel mumbled, looking down at her hands.

"But I checked in there and didn't see you."

Rachel sighed and began to play with her fingers, focusing on them instead of her mom.

"Rach?"

"I was hiding behind the sofa," said the girl in barely more than a whisper.

"What? Why were you hiding?" asked Shelby, brushing the hair from Rachel's face.

Rachel let out another sigh and shrugged. "I think I am tired, actually," she said as she tried to scoot away.

Shelby caught the girl and held her in place. "Wait a minute. Were you hiding from me?"

"I…You were angry."

"Not at you though. Never at you," Shelby assured, pulling Rachel close once more. The girl melted into her, holding on tightly.

"That's just what I'm used to," the teen confessed. "My dads would get angry with me and I learned to stay away from them until they got over it."

"Oh honey," Shelby soothed, kissing the girl's head, "That's not how we're going to do things. You never have to stay away from me."

"Even when you're mad?" Rachel asked, pulling back and meeting her mother's eyes.

"Especially when I'm mad," said Shelby. "You never have to hide from me. You can come to me and talk to me about anything. I may not always be happy with something you've done, but you can always come to me for comfort and support, Rachel."

"It's hard to remember sometimes," Rachel admitted.

"I know it is," Shelby soothed. "I don't mind reminding you whenever you need it."

Rachel nodded and yawned, resting her head on her mother's shoulder. Shelby smiled and rocked them gently, rubbing slow circles on Rachel's back.

"Today's kind of sucked," said Rachel, her voice muffled by her mother's hair.

"It has," agreed Shelby. "Tomorrow will be better."

* * *

 **Please let me know what you think! I love hearing from you!**


	9. Coming Home, Part One

**Hello Readers! This chapter started to become way too long, so instead of posting a mega chapter, I've broken it into two parts. We're two chapters behind in terms of where this story is versus where the original was at this point, but I think the new additions more than make up for it. This chapter you'll see much more of the Corcoran family, including members we previously haven't seen (like Aunt Lisa and more of the little cousins!).**

 **Special Note: On Tumblr, I've got a whole page dedicated to all things Open Arms, including one with faces for each of the main characters and family members. Go to darecruit dot tumblr dot com / OpenArms to check it out!**

* * *

 **Chapter 9: Coming Home, Part One**

Thursday evening found Shelby in her bedroom with clothes everywhere as she tried to finish packing. Rachel was sitting on the bed amid the chaos, playing on her new iPhone that Shelby had just bought, ignoring everything her mother was saying. Shelby was doing her best to push down her frantic thoughts, working as fast as she could to get everything done. It was nearing midnight and they had to be up at four to head to the airport.

"Rachel, go get ready for bed," Shelby said as she grabbed a handful of clothes and stuffed them haphazardly into the suitcase.

"I will when you're finished," Rachel replied, not looking up from her screen.

Shelby huffed and reached across the bed to snatch the device from the teen's hands. "Go do it now like I told you," she ordered.

"Mom—"

"Rachel."

Rachel grumbled but climbed off the bed. As she was passing Shelby, she muttered, "It's not _my_ fault you scheduled an early flight."

Shelby turned and popped the girl's rear, not hard but enough to get her attention. Rachel quickened her pace into the bathroom, shutting the door with a sharp click.

Shelby watched her go and shook her head. As she turned back to the suitcase, she couldn't help but crack a smile. If the frenzied packing and a snarky teenage comment were the worst of her worries right now, Shelby considered herself lucky.

The week had been long but enjoyable. Things from the weekend had blown over by the beginning of Wednesday. Jackie had released a statement Monday evening while Hank spread the photos Shelby had sent to him all over the internet. What helped matters the most was when a story broke about the quarterback from the New York Giants—some scandal, Shelby wasn't even sure what about. All she cared about was that no one was talking about her or Rachel any longer.

Mother and daughter spent Wednesday visiting some of Shelby's favorite hangouts and then did a bit of shopping in Times Square. Shelby made sure to get Rachel a few souvenirs and they ended the day with dinner and a little show called _The Lion King_.

Today the pair spent the whole day at Central Park. They took a ride in a horse-drawn carriage, had lunch at Loeb Boathouse, and finished the day at the zoo. They picked up a pizza from Shelby's favorite hole-in-the-wall and went home and watched _The Wizard of Oz_ , which then led them into the office to reenact Rachel's favorite scenes from _Wicked_ (Rachel insisted on playing Elphaba, leaving Shelby to sing Glinda's parts).

To say Shelby was exhausted was an understatement, but she was glad she and Rachel got to experience a bit of normalcy in New York. She knew Rachel had enjoyed the time out and was looking forward to more adventures when they came back. The girl had, however, confessed to being glad to go back to Ohio and Shelby couldn't have agreed more.

By the time Rachel returned from the bathroom, Shelby had half of the bed cleared off.

"Can I have my phone back?" the girl asked as she settled back in her spot.

"It's bedtime, Rach. We have to be up in four hours," Shelby replied, leaning over the suitcase to try to get it zipped. It was difficult, but she managed.

"But you're not done," Rachel whined, giving her mother big eyes.

"I will be in ten minutes. You can lay down awhile," said Shelby.

"Moooom."

"Hush now," Shelby said as she moved to Rachel's side. "It's late and you need rest. You're going to be grumpy enough as it is."

Shelby had successfully gotten Rachel into a better sleep routine where she actually slept late in the mornings. It did mean, however, that she wasn't used to getting up early anymore. And Shelby had come to learn that a tired Rachel meant a cranky Rachel.

"I won't," Rachel insisted with a pout.

Shelby chuckled and matched her daughter's pout, motioning for her to lay down. Rachel did so begrudgingly, turning on her stomach and facing away from her mother.

Shelby shook her head and pulled the covers up for her daughter, placing several soft pats on her bottom. "Goodnight, my sweet girl," she whispered, leaning over to kiss Rachel's cheek.

Rachel harrumphed in response and Shelby just rolled her eyes. She was such a mean mom, making her kid go to bed at midnight when they had to get up in four hours. What was she thinking?

Shelby went back to her previous task and finished it in a matter of minutes. She yawned and stretched, moving the suitcase to the floor where the other two sat before heading off to the bathroom to get ready for bed.

She returned to find Rachel sneaking her phone under the covers. The girl jumped in alarm when the door opened and tried to hide her transgression, but Shelby knew all the tricks in the book. She had written some of them, after all. She crossed the room to the bed and held out her hand without a word.

Rachel's face flushed as she passed her phone to her mom in equal silence. Shelby turned the device off and stuck it in the drawer of the nightstand. She picked up her own phone and set an alarm and put it on silent before climbing into bed.

Shelby's head had barely hit the pillow before Rachel was snuggling into her side, resting her head next to her mother's. Shelby smiled and wrapped her arm around the girl.

Shelby was startled awake when Rachel elbowed her in the face. She groaned and moved the girl's arm away from her as she blinked away tears.

She rolled over and closed her eyes, but now that she was awake, she realized she had to pee. Another groan and she was climbing out of bed. She staggered to the bathroom door and opened it as quietly as she could. Rachel let out a snore in response.

Shelby came back to bed and had to roll Rachel onto her side again; the girl liked to hog the whole bed. She got comfy once more and shut her eyes, sighing deeply. She knew she would fall right back to sleep.

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

"Argh!" Shelby growled, throwing the covers off of herself. She sat up and snatched her phone, jabbing at the screen.

She looked over at the peaceful, sleeping face of her child and smiled. She reached a hand out, placed it gently on Rachel's shoulder, and shook.

"Rachel, time to wake up."

Rachel grumbled and turned away, pulling the covers tighter around her.

"Rach," Shelby called, patting a slow tempo on Rachel's bottom.

"Mommy," the girl whined.

"I hate it as much as you do, but we need to get up."

Shelby was now regretting this early-morning flight. What had she been thinking?

She _knew_ what she had been thinking. She was thinking that getting two people packed and on a plane at 6AM wouldn't be much different than getting herself packed and on a plane. She hadn't factored in the teenage equation—multiply everything by two and raise to drama squared. Solve for why.

"It's so early," Rachel complained.

"I know. You can sleep on the plane. Up you get!" Shelby said, untangling the girl from the blankets. She grabbed Rachel's arm and pulled her into a sitting position.

Rachel groaned and whined unintelligibly, leaning into her mother for support. Shelby obliged and wrapped her arms around the girl, holding her close. A kiss to the head and a few rubs to the back and Shelby was pulling away.

"We need to get moving. Go brush your teeth and wash your face. I'll get your clothes ready," the mother said as she stood, pulling her daughter up with her.

"I can pick out my own clothes," the teen grumbled.

"Go," Shelby ordered. She pushed Rachel forward with one hand while the other pointed to the bathroom.

When Rachel returned minutes later, Shelby was dressed in black yoga pants, a pink v-neck shirt, and gray zip-up hoodie. She had set aside undies and bra, along with a pair of navy blue _Adidas_ track pants, the yellow lion t-shirt Rachel had wanted from the musical, and a faded green pullover hoodie.

"You're making me wear this? It's summer," Rachel said, picking up the track pants in annoyance.

"You'll thank me when you're cold on the plane. Now get dressed, please," Shelby replied.

"Why do we have to go so early?" Rachel whined as she yanked off her sleep shirt. She threw that and her underwear on the floor, much to her mother's chagrin, and dressed in the clothes her mom had set out.

Shelby rolled her eyes as she picked up the clothing from the floor and put them into the small plastic bag with her own sleep clothes and then placed that into the nearest suitcase.

"I thought it'd be nice to get home and still have the whole day," Shelby answered with a yawn. "I know for next time not to get the early flight."

 **Open Arms * Open Arms * Open Arms**

By the time Shelby and Rachel had left the airport and were walking towards her parents' _Chrysler Town & Country_, Shelby felt like the day had lasted an entire year—and it was only 8AM.

"Where's Daddy?" she asked as soon they reached the car. Her mom had jumped out of the driver's seat and ran around to greet them.

"He's at home, I told him to stay and get the rooms ready for you!" Diane answered as she pulled Rachel into her arms. She squeezed the girl tight and placed sporadic kisses to the girl's head and face.

Shelby sighed and rolled her eyes while her mom was preoccupied with Rachel. She knew ignoring her mom all week and not answering her calls was going to come back to bite her in the ass—she just hadn't realized it would be so soon.

It was at least a forty-five minute drive to her parents' house with traffic and Diane would now have Shelby's undivided attention for all of it. And Shelby was under no delusion that Rachel would be of any help; the girl would be asleep before they left the parking lot if the flight was any indication.

"Take that bag and put it in the back, dear," Diane said to Rachel as she turned to Shelby.

Shelby sighed as her mother moved to her side and pulled her close. She knew the look on the woman's face and it confirmed the worst of her fears.

"We have a lot to catch up on, Shelby Elizabeth," Diane whispered, sending a shiver down Shelby's spine.

Minutes later, their suitcases were in the van and, sure enough, Rachel was already fast asleep in the backseat. Shelby sat in the passenger seat, staring blankly out the window while her mother eased into the traffic leaving the airport.

Shelby reached out to turn on the radio and was rewarded with a sharp slap to the back of her hand. She pulled back with a hiss and glared at her mother.

"Don't wake her," Diane said, motioning with her head towards her granddaughter in the backseat.

Shelby turned to check on the slumbering girl, her face softening. Rachel's hood was pulled up over her eyes and her head was slumped to the side, supported by the seatbelt.

With a long, drawn-out sigh, Shelby faced forward in her seat and returned to staring out the window. She rubbed absentmindedly at the sting still present on her left hand as her eyes drooped. She could feel the blissful heaviness of sleep tugging at her, pulling her deeper and deeper into its warm embrace.

"So, Shelby," Diane's voice blared like a foghorn in Shelby's ears, "From what I understand, you had an interesting week."

Shelby gasped and was startled back into reality, her eyes snapping open and darting around. Realizing they were now on the highway, Shelby looked around for the nearest sign to tell her where they were. She was hopeful that she had slept most of the way home and they were almost there. Her hopes were dashed when the next exit revealed that they were only two miles past the airport. She fell back against the seat with a groan.

"Mother, don't _scare_ me like that!"

"Scare you? _Scare you?_ You don't know _real_ fear until your daughter and granddaughter are thousands of miles away and you aren't getting any information except for what's on the television because your darling daughter refuses to answer your calls!" Diane admonished.

"Mom, _oh my God!_ Calm down!" said Shelby, trying her best to do the same.

"Don't tell me to calm down, Shelby Elizabeth! I have never in my life been more angry with you than I am right now!"

"Why are you angry? It's not like I keep in touch much when things are hectic," Shelby defended. "Besides, you _know_ everything was okay and there was nothing to worry about."

"I most certainly did _not_ know that! Last time I spoke to you, Rachel was all over the news and you couldn't _find_ her! And this is after she was doing God knows what, out alone in the city and had a _mob_ after her and was brought home by the _police!"_ Diane thundered.

Rachel moaned and stirred in the back and Shelby turned to watch her for a brief second. She sighed in relief when the girl settled back down and stayed asleep.

"Don't wake her," Shelby echoed her mother's words from before, her tone biting.

Diane eyed Shelby dangerously while reaching over and slapping the top of her thigh. "Don't be flip!" she chided.

"Ow! Mama!" Shelby gasped, rubbing at the sting. She cursed herself for deciding to wear yoga pants this morning; they had offered no protection against her mother's hard hand. "I didn't do anything!" she added petulantly.

Diane huffed. "Damn right you _didn't do anything!_ How long would it have taken you to pick up your phone and let me know that everything was okay?"

"I _told_ you everything was okay!"

"You told me you couldn't find Rachel!"

"Mother—"

"What's more, Shelby, is that you don't seem to care that you left me completely in the dark," Diane went on.

Shelby let out a frustrated groan and banged her head back against the headrest as her mother continued with her lecture. She felt all of sixteen years old again, trapped in the car with her raving lunatic of a mother as she practically foamed at the mouth.

Reaching into her pocket, Shelby pulled out her phone and opened her text messages with Sasha. As she began typing out an SOS, she was comforted by the fact that at least _she_ didn't act this way with Rachel.

John sat on the back deck, enjoying his coffee, and watched as the van pulled into the driveway. He smirked at the sight of his youngest sitting in the front seat, her head tilted back in exasperation, and his wife jabbering along non-stop next to her. He then caught sight of Rachel passed out in the back and chortled.

Shelby's face lit up at the sight of her father—a reprieve, at last! She was out and running towards her dad before the car was even in park, her mother's voice shrieking after her.

"Daddy!" she greeted, flinging her arms around his neck. Strong arms wrapped around her and she rested her head against her father's chest as she closed her eyes.

"How was the flight?" John asked.

"Oh, it was fine," Shelby answered. "The ride here was painful," she added under her breath.

"Let's go help your mom with your things," said John, leading them towards the van. Diane had just opened the rear door and was shifting the suitcases around.

John reached her as she went to lift the first one out and placed his hand over hers. "I've got it, sweetheart," he offered. His wife gave him a sweet smile and stood on her tiptoes to peck his cheek.

Shelby opened the sliding door and gazed in at her sleeping child, a smile playing across her lips. She reached in and pushed back Rachel's hood, running a quick hand over the girl's messy hair.

"Rachel," she called gently, "Time to wake up. We're here."

Rachel moaned and fought to open her eyes. She stared at Shelby through a blurry haze. "Mommy? Where are we?"

Shelby chuckled and ran the back of her fingers over the girl's cheek. "We're at Nana and PopPop's," she answered.

"Oh," the girl yawned, wiping at the corner of her mouth with her sleeve. "Ugh," she groaned, examining the small patch of drool on the cuff.

"C'mon, get out now," Shelby laughed, wrapping a hand lightly around Rachel's arm.

"Hey, munchkin!" John exclaimed, drawing Rachel into a big hug as soon as she was out of the car.

After the initial hellos, the family moved into the house. Diane made her way upstairs without a word, leaving John with daughter and granddaughter. He sighed as he watched his wife go, knowing she was hurting.

Shelby yawned and nudged Rachel up the stairs. She grabbed the medium suitcase and began to drag it up the steps behind her. "Daddy, Rachel and I are going to go lay down for a bit. If you want to leave the other bags there, I'll come get them later," she said over her shoulder.

"Actually, Shelby, I was hoping you and I could sit and chat over a cup of coffee," John replied.

Shelby paused on the fifth step and turned to look back at her dad. She sighed at the eager look on the man's face. She couldn't say no to him. "Okay, Daddy," she nodded. "Let me get Rachel settled and I'll be back down."

"Take your time," John smiled.

Shelby led Rachel into the bedroom she had stayed in before and set her suitcase down on the top of the dresser. She pulled out a sleep shirt and Henry and handed them to the girl.

Once Rachel had changed, she followed her mom over to the bed and crawled under the covers. She yawned as she lay down, wiggling to get comfortable. She had slept a bit on the flight and then the whole car ride home, but Rachel still felt like she hadn't slept in a decade.

Shelby pulled the blankets up to Rachel's chin and then leaned over to kiss her head. "Get some sleep, honey," she whispered as she pulled back.

She shut the bedroom door and leaned up against it, sighing heavily. She wanted nothing more than to go to bed as well, but she had promised her dad she'd go back down and visit with him. Perhaps she could have a cup of tea and chat with him for half an hour and then go lay down.

Just as Shelby pushed away from the door, her phone rang. She reached into her pocket and smiled as she saw Sasha's name appear.

"Hey!" she smiled, heading for the second bedroom.

 _"So Erma gave you a hard time?"_ Sasha laughed on the other end.

"She won't let it go! She's driving me crazy! It's over!" Shelby complained, flopping back on the bed.

 _"You know how worked up she gets over the media stuff. She's never gotten used to it,"_ said Sasha.

"Crazy woman!" Shelby groaned. She fell into easy conversation with her friend and before she knew it, they had been talking for nearly forty minutes.

"Crap!" she exclaimed. "I've gotta go. My dad's waiting on me. I'll call you later."

 _"Give him my love! Erma too…when you're speaking to her again,"_ Sasha said.

"Daddy?" Shelby called as she skipped down the steps.

"In here, munchkin!" John returned from the living room where he was sitting in his recliner. "I was beginning to think you forgot about me," he added as Shelby appeared in the archway.

"I could never forget about you, Dad," Shelby smiled. She stepped over to the recliner and perched on the armrest like she always did as a kid.

John wrapped an arm around his daughter's waist and patted her side for a moment. "No? You seemed to have forgotten about your mom easily enough," he commented.

Shelby sucked in her breath and stared wide-eyed at her father. "Daddy—"

"She's been worried sick all week because you wouldn't call her back. You know better than that, Shelby," John scolded, his voice soft.

"But Dad, you know how she gets. She believes everything she reads in those tabloid magazines! I didn't have time to talk to her about that ad nauseam," Shelby protested.

"You could have picked up one of the times she called. I know she must have left you dozens of messages. She just wanted to make sure you and Rachel were okay," said John. "She worries."

"But I told her I was okay," Shelby said, standing and rounding on her father. "And Rachel—"

"The last we heard, you couldn't find Rachel. And what they were saying in the news was horrible. It's not just you anymore, Shelby. You acted extremely selfishly this week, and that's not like you at all," John responded, rising to his feet as well.

Her father's words hit her like a ton of bricks and Shelby felt the air whoosh out of her lungs as if she had been punched. Guilt overwhelmed her and she flushed bright red.

A minute ago, she was ready to brush off both of her parents and the way they were reacting. What had them so bent out of shape? This was, after all, not her first rodeo.

She was quite pleased with herself for how she had handled the whole situation. She and her team were in damage control mode in a flash and it was over in a matter of days. Shelby had explained the situation to Rachel and made sure she understood that nothing was her fault. Shelby considered the ordeal a relative success.

When her mother called, Shelby had been annoyed with all of her probing questions; she assumed the subsequent calls were going to be much the same and so, she ignored them.

It had been an easy choice at the time, one that Shelby had made countless times before. She had never filled her parents in on those kinds of things. Shelby had always kept her life in New York and as a celebrity completely separate from her life back home with her family. It hadn't occurred to her that now should be any different just because Rachel was in the picture.

"I didn't intend to act selfishly," Shelby defended. "I just…Mom is so _crazy_ sometimes. I wasn't in the mood to deal with that."

John sighed and shook his head. "This could have been handled with more maturity, Shelby. Now you have to deal with hurting your mother's feelings," he said sternly.

His voice never rose above a conversational level, but he knew his words smarted. While his wife had always been more forceful with her reprimands, John remained the calm, even-tempered disciplinarian—something he knew was, more often than not, worse than Diane's methods in the eyes of their children.

Shelby was once again transported back to a sixteen year old, head hung in shame as she shifted uneasily in front of her father.

"I'm sorry, Daddy," Shelby said, unwanted tears stinging her eyes.

"I'm not the one you need to be apologizing to."

Shelby nodded glumly with a tentative glance up at her dad. "I know," she replied.

John opened his arms in a silent invitation and Shelby was quick to accept. He rubbed his daughter's back as he held her close for a moment. Pulling back, he placed a kiss to his child's forehead and smiled warmly at her.

"I'll go talk to her," Shelby said, returning her dad's smile.

"Good girl," said John with a squeeze to Shelby's shoulder. He moved to sit back in his chair as Shelby turned to go upstairs.

Shelby stood outside of her parents' bedroom, her hand raised to knock on the closed door. She wasn't looking forward to the conversation she was going to have to have with her mom, but it was better to get it over with. Then she could go to sleep!

Diane looked up from the book she had been reading at the sound of a tentative knock on the door. "Come in," she called.

"Hi, Mama," Shelby said shyly, easing the door open. "Can we talk?"

Diane pursed her lips and regarded Shelby for a moment. Her daughter fidgeted at the door as if she wasn't sure what to do with herself and suddenly, her beautiful, grown-up child was transported back to the gangly, baby-faced teenager of yesteryear.

"Come sit down, Shelby," Diane said.

Shelby made her way slowly over to the bed as if marching off to the gallows. She had already been scolded by her dad and wasn't looking forward to facing the same from her mom—especially not after their altercation in the car. With a sigh, she sat down and, seeing no other way around it, jumped in with both feet.

"Mom, I just talked with Daddy and I—he—made me realize that I didn't, um…didn't handle things as well as I should have this—this week."

Diane inclined her head and waited for her daughter to continue.

Shelby cast a cautious glance at her mother, only to quickly lower her gaze to her hands. She twisted her fingers much like Rachel always did as she weighed her next words.

"I'm sorry I didn't call you back," she offered.

"Why didn't you?" Diane asked. "I left you so many messages. I was worried, Shelby, and you kept me in the dark."

Shelby sighed and nodded. "I know. I'm sorry. I was worried about Rachel and I needed to take care of her."

Diane nodded and reached a hand out to place on Shelby's to still her fidgeting. "I understand that, Shelby. Of course Rachel comes first. But after things settled down, you should have called me to let me know everything was okay with you two—or at least picked up during one of the _hundreds_ of calls I made."

"I was frustrated with you," Shelby confessed, her eyes sneaking up to meet her mom's. "You freak out every time there's something about me in the media. You know I can handle myself."

"I know you can handle the media, Shelby. It was never about that," said Diane.

"That's not all though; you started asking all of these questions about how I dealt with Rachel and that really pissed me off, Mom. You were acting like I couldn't handle the situation and you wouldn't drop it. I may be new to this parenting thing, but I'm not completely useless, Mom."

"Oh Shelby, you know I don't think that," Diane scolded lightly. "But I'm sorry I made you feel that way. However, not talking to me because you were angry with me is not an acceptable excuse."

"Mama, it's not…You just don't understand," Shelby said, her tone taking on a definite whine.

"Oho, I don't understand?" Diane chuckled. "It's you that doesn't understand, my dear."

"Mom—"

"I was terrified, Shelby. Absolutely terrified. I know you know how to handle yourself, but this is new territory—for you, for Rachel…for me. Rachel was chased and surrounded and then you couldn't find her. Then, Shelby, you didn't call me back. I had no way of knowing if you were okay or not. You refused to speak to me all _week_ , Shelby. What if Rachel acted that way with you? How would you react?"

Guilt bubbled up inside of Shelby once more and she swallowed a lump in her throat. Her mother minced no words; they were blunt and struck Shelby hard. She couldn't help but see the similarities between this situation and the one she dealt with with Rachel. It seemed that Shelby was just as much at fault for scaring her own mother as Rachel was for scaring her.

"I-I'm sorry, Mama," Shelby said, not daring to look into her mother's eyes. She couldn't; she was afraid she would see disappointment there.

"You may be an adult and a mother now, Shelby, but you're still my baby. My rules and expectations for you have never changed," Diane said.

"Yes, Mom," Shelby nodded along, still not meeting her mother's gaze. "I really am sorry. I didn't mean to worry you—it won't happen again."

"It better not," said Diane, reaching over to lift her youngest's chin. "If it does, you'll find the consequences haven't changed either."

"Mama!" Shelby gasped, her stomach doing a cartwheel. "You wouldn't!"

"Pick up the damn phone next time and you won't have to find out!" came Diane's quick reply. Blue eyes met hazel and she winked.

Before Shelby knew it, she was being pulled in for a hug and she knew all was right again. She sighed as she rested her head on her mom's shoulders, letting herself relax around the woman for the first time since getting home. She forgot how nice it was to be held like this; all of her worries seemed to melt away in Mom's arms.

After several quiet minutes, Diane pulled back and brushed away the wisps of hair falling around Shelby's face. Her girl yawned and the mother smiled warmly.

"Alright, enough of this," she said, standing and helping Shelby to her feet. "You are clearly in need of a long nap."

"That sounds amazing," Shelby smiled, a big yawn overtaking her.

"I'm going to go sit with your dad and relax for a bit. Go lay down and we'll have a snack when you wake up," said Diane.

"Thanks, Mom. I love you," said Shelby, hugging her mom once more.

She turned away from the woman and jumped when three quick, smart swats landed on her bottom. Her hands shot behind her as she spun on the spot, turning betrayed eyes onto her mother.

"I love you too," Diane said, ignoring her daughter's look. "Now off to bed with you."

Shelby backed away from her mom with caution, her hands still in their protective position against any further assault. It wasn't until she made her way into the safety of the hall that she relaxed her stance, although one hand remained to try to rub the sting from her cheeks.

As she headed towards the hall bathroom, Shelby couldn't help but feel almost giddy at the thought of getting to sleep. Over two hours had passed since they had arrived at her parents' house, but it felt more like an eternity.

Shelby had gone to the bathroom and then washed her face, her thoughts already on the soft pillows and down comforter waiting for her in the guest room. She'd change into her nightshirt and crawl into bed and hopefully sleep for a few hours. She was just steps away from the guest room and the rest that awaited her when she heard a familiar voice call her name.

"Shelby, you yellow-belly jelly! Come down here!"

"Lauren!" Diane scolded, stomping into the entranceway. She narrowed her eyes at her eldest daughter, fixing her with a stern glare. "Shelby is resting."

"She's right there," said Lauren, pointing to the stairs behind them. There her sister stood, on the third step from the bottom, smiling at her.

Diane spun and settled her look on her youngest. "I told you to go to bed," she chided.

Shelby grinned impishly, but managed to look chastened in response to the raised eyebrow she was now receiving.

"Bed? I came to snag you for lunch!" Lauren said to her sister.

Diane looked back and forth between her daughters before taking a step towards the stairs. "You can get lunch later. Shelby needs a nap. It's been a long day for her and—"

"Lunch sounds good," Shelby interrupted, her stomach rumbling in agreement.

"Let's go then!" Lauren smiled, heading for the door.

Shelby nodded and grabbed her purse from the console table, flinging it over her arm as she went.

"Girls—" Diane sighed helplessly. She waved them off, knowing she had lost that battle. "Have fun! Be careful!" she called after them.

It was almost two by the time the sisters returned from lunch, and Shelby was dead on her feet. Part of her hoped that Rachel was still asleep so she could lay down too, but she knew she'd need to get the girl up if she had any chance of keeping her on a semblance of a normal schedule.

Shelby yawned and could feel her jaw screaming at the action; she was sure it would soon come unhinged if she did much more of it.

"I could sleep for three days," she said as she pulled open the screen door, frowning when a package fell onto her foot. Reaching down to grab it, she noticed it was for Rachel. Her frown deepened when she saw the return address—the Berry men.

"What's wrong?" Lauren questioned, placing a gentle hand on her sister's shoulder.

Shelby shook her head and held the package up so Lauren could read the names. "Just what I need," she mumbled.

"It can wait until you've gotten some sleep," Lauren replied, reaching around Shelby to open the door. She pushed her sister in and followed.

The sisters had no sooner entered the house than their father's voice called from the other room. "Hello?"

"It's just us, Daddy!" returned Lauren.

"How was lunch?" John asked as he joined them. His eyes flicked to his youngest trying her best not to yawn. "You should really get some sleep, Shelly."

"I can't, I gotta get Rachel up and—"

"She's been up for a while now. She's in helping Mom make brownies for tonight," said John. "Go on," he added.

Shelby nodded and turned towards the stairs. Halfway there, she paused and looked to her sister. "Will you tell Rachel I'll be upstairs if she needs me?"

"I'll handle her, you go get some sleep!" Lauren assured.

"I think Mom's home," Rachel told her grandmother as she licked the brownie batter off of the beaters.

Diane nodded, spooning the batter into a greased pan. She turned and placed it in the oven and set the timer. She was just about to say something to Rachel when her husband and daughter came into the room.

"Hi, sweetheart," Lauren greeted her niece, moving to kiss the girl's head. She reached around Rachel to stick her finger in the bowl and scoop some of the remaining batter into her mouth.

"Hey!" Rachel complained as her aunt went for another taste. Nana had given the bowl to her, and she wasn't about to share.

"Aunt tax," said Lauren, wiping her finger on the side of her jeans.

Shelby could hear the murmured chatter from downstairs, but it was cut off as soon as she shut the bedroom door. She smiled and let out a relieved sigh as soon as she noticed her suitcase sitting on the padded bench at the foot of the bed; her dad must have carried it up earlier. She set the package down besides the suitcase and then rummaged for her sleep clothes.

Shelby wasted no time and was changed and in bed in a matter of minutes. Another relieved sigh escaped her mouth as she sank into the soft mattress. Her eyes closed and she rolled over into her favorite sleeping position. This was going to be a good nap.

Forty-five minutes later and Shelby was wide-awake. She stared up at the ceiling, spewing a litany of profanities into the universe. It didn't help her get to sleep, but neither did counting sheep, and this was a lot more fun.

A big yawn interrupted her tirade and she rubbed at her burning, watery eyes. She closed them for some relief, returning once more to her cursing.

"Shelby," Diane said gently, brushing back her daughter's hair. "Time to wake up now."

Shelby groaned and tried to roll over, but her mother stopped her. "Mom," she whined. "Five more minutes."

"It's five-thirty. Everyone should be getting here around six. You need to get up," Diane prodded.

Shelby rubbed at her eyes, finally turning them on her mother. "But I wasn't…it was just three something."

Diane chuckled and ran her hand over Shelby's hair once more. "Time has a funny way of passing quickly when you're sleeping," she laughed.

"I'm never, ever, getting another early flight again," Shelby lamented.

"Okay, honey," Diane nodded, leaning down to kiss Shelby's forehead. "I'm going to go back downstairs and finish dinner. Get up, don't go back to sleep when I leave!"

Shelby came downstairs twenty minutes later, feeling more tired than she had before she laid down. She could hear the mingled voices of her family and smiled despite her grumpy mood.

"Aunt Shelby!" ten-year-old Luke squealed upon seeing his aunt. He ran over and hugged the woman around the middle, looking up at her with bright eyes. "Did you bring us anything back from New York?"

"Luke!" Lisa scolded, moving towards the pair. She gave Shelby an apologetic look before turning to her son. "That's rude to ask Aunt Shelby that question."

"But why? She brings us back stuff all the time," the boy pointed out.

Lisa shook her head and pulled her oldest towards her, bending down to be at his eye level. "That doesn't mean she will do it every time. And it's not your place to ask, do you understand?"

Luke sighed and shuffled his feet on the carpet, not meeting his mother's eyes. "Yeah," he agreed begrudgingly.

Lisa nodded and stood back up to her full height.

Luke turned from his mother back to his aunt, an innocent look plastered on his face. "But…did you?" he whispered.

"Not this time, kiddo," Shelby answered just as quietly, ruffling the boy's hair. The boy sighed and jutted his lip out in a big pout that Shelby mirrored.

"Lucas Brian! What did I just tell you?" Lisa said, her hands finding their way to her hips. She glared at the back of her son's head, waiting for him to turn his innocent face on her. She met him with a stern look of her own.

"She never answered," Luke shrugged.

"Go," Lisa said, turning her son towards the archway and popping him solidly on the behind to get him moving.

Shelby watched them go, Luke trying to explain himself out of this situation and failing miserably. Lisa steered him into the hall bathroom and shut the door behind them. Shelby then turned her attention back to the others in the room; John and Jack sat on the sofa, huddled over Jack's phone and talking excitedly, while Sarah sat in the chair watching the twins race their toy cars on the carpet in front of her.

Shelby smiled at her sister-in-law and continued towards the dining room and the raucous laughter coming from there.

"Shelby!" Ben yelled as soon as he saw his sister. In two broad steps, he was at her side, lifting and hugging her mid-air.

No sooner had Ben let her go than she was being pulled into Todd's arms. "So, Shelbs, boring time in New York, huh?" he laughed.

"Ha, yeah, total drag," Shelby quipped.

"Dinner's ready!" Diane called as she came through from the kitchen, carrying a large covered dish. She shooed Ben away as she reached over and set the dish in the middle of the table.

Lauren entered the room carrying two smaller dishes and set them on either side of the big one. Shelby craned her neck to inspect the contents—butter and brown sugar cooked baby carrots in one and spinach in the other.

"Ben, can you go tell your father that dinner is ready? And Todd, call the kids up," Diane said as she turned back towards the kitchen. "Shelby, honey, come help me."

Shelby followed her mother into the kitchen and her eyes landed on the other five or so dishes on the counters. "Jeez, Mom, what all did you make?" she asked.

"I made carrots and spinach, baked mac & cheese because I know that's your favorite, ham and a small turkey breast, lima beans for your father, fresh dinner rolls, and some black olives for the boys," Diane rattled off.

"You should have let me help you," Shelby said. "This is too much for you to have done all by yourself."

"I didn't do it all by myself—Rachel was very helpful," Diane waved her daughter off.

"But—"

"Hush and take this out," said Diane, handing her youngest the dinner rolls and small dish of black olives. She sent her on her way with a light swat before turning to give Lauren the plate of carved ham.

Shelby entered the dining room just as JJ, Lexi, Haley, Rachel, and Michael were filing up from the basement.

"Boys, to the bathroom, and girls, kitchen, and wash your hands," Todd said, waving his arms as if directing traffic.

He had just gotten the older kids sent off when the three younger boys all clambered into the room, giggling excitedly.

"Did you guys wash your hands?" Todd stopped them in their tracks.

All three boys nodded and Todd raised his eyebrows in skepticism. "Let me see your hands," he said.

Three tiny sets of hands were turned palms up and held high in the air for Todd to inspect. The uncle cupped the oldest of the three's hands in his own and bent his head to sniff. Seemingly satisfied, he nodded and told Luke to take a seat. He then turned to the two identical pairs of hands and did the same with each of them.

"They smell like your monster trucks, guys," Todd smirked. "Go to the bathroom and ask your older cousins to help you clean up."

The twins groaned but did as they were told and Todd watched them go with a gleam in his eye.

Dinner was a pleasant, albeit noisy, affair. All eight grandchildren were giddy and talkative, each trying to outdo the others with jokes and funny stories. The adults were more than happy to listen to the kids' banter, every once in awhile jumping in with a joke of their own. Laughter erupted from everyone at the table almost non-stop, and Shelby soon found herself forgetting all about her exhaustion and subsequent grumpiness.

As dinner came to a close, the chatter diminished as everyone let their food settle. The kids bounced back quickly and were sent outside to play while the adults sat around the table in peaceful stillness.

"Would anyone like some coffee?" Diane asked, standing to begin to clear the table. Lauren, Sarah, and Lisa all stood to help.

Shelby yawned and began to rise, but Diane's hand settled on her shoulder and pushed her back down. "You relax, dear," her mother said.

"Everyone relax," John declared as he stood. He turned to his two sons and son-in-law. "Let us fellas take care of this."

Murmured agreements came from Ben and Todd, who both stood and gathered plates while the women returned to their seats.

"Wait a minute, why aren't the kids cleaning up?" Jack complained.

"They're playing, leave them be," answered Diane with a shake of her head.

"Well who let them go out and play?" asked Jack.

" _You!"_ came the reply from Sarah, Lauren, and Lisa in unison.

"Clearly I wasn't thinking straight!" he exclaimed.

"C'mon, son, you've lost this battle," John laughed as he carried the mac & cheese dish towards the kitchen. Ben and Todd followed, each carrying a stack of dirty plates.

"This is highly unfair," Jack declared, but grabbed the vegetable dishes all the same.

After the dishes were cleared and put into the dishwasher and the leftovers placed in the fridge, the adults moved into the living room to have coffee and converse. The twins and Luke sat on the floor playing with their cars while the rest of the kids were in the dining room playing a board game and devouring the brownies Diane and Rachel had spent the afternoon baking.

"Rachel, you still haven't told us what happened in New York," Lexi said as she rolled the dice for her turn.

"Yeah, we all saw the pictures! Were you really brought home by the cops?" JJ asked eagerly.

"Oh, um—"

"Did they put handcuffs on you, Rachel?" Michael added, his eyes wide with excitement.

"They didn't cuff her, dummy—that's only when you're arrested," Haley rolled her eyes at her little brother. "Tell us all the details, Rach! Aunt Shelby told Mom the story, I think."

"I'm not a dummy—Butthead!" Michael shot back, sticking his tongue out at his sister. "Yeah, Mom wouldn't tell us. I asked," he added, turning his attention once again to Rachel.

"Well, I…" Rachel began, biting her lip nervously. She wasn't sure how much of the story she should divulge; she didn't want her cousins knowing the _whole_ truth, after all.

"I was taken home by the police, yes."

The rest of the kids stared back at her in awe, waiting with bated breath for her to go on. Blushing slightly, Rachel continued. She told the story from the beginning, about how she snuck out and went to Central Park by herself and then listening to the steel drum band; she told them everything she could remember from the people wanting her photos and asking where Shelby was. And then she told them how scared she was when those people started to surround her.

"Then a police officer on a bike came and told everyone to leave me alone. I figured I should go home and I started to walk away when he stopped me. He called for a patrol car and two cops came and—and took me home," she finished.

"Wow," Michael breathed in awe. "What was it like riding in the cop car? Did they turn on their siren?"

"Just like riding in any car, really…except for the bars. They didn't turn on the siren. It was scary though," said Rachel.

"What did Aunt Shelby do?" Lexi asked.

"Oh, uh—She, um—" Rachel faltered, a blush returning to her cheeks. She didn't want to tell her cousins the truth; she was afraid they would laugh at her.

"Did she spank you?" Michael jumped in.

"What? No!" Rachel gasped, her voice higher than normal. Her heart pounded inside her chest and her breathing came quicker now.

"Michael!" Haley yelled, thumping the twelve-year-old on his back with a closed fist.

"What? That's what Mom and Dad would do!" Michael defended as he swung his arm towards Haley. He hit her on the shoulder and then jumped up to move behind JJ for protection.

Rachel's face turned blood red as she wracked her brain for any excuse to get out of the conversation. She felt the eyes of her cousins on her and was sure they could see into her soul and see the truth. She needed to say something—anything.

Rachel opened her mouth, not knowing at all what was going to come out, and then—

"Hey kids, it's time to pack up. It's getting late and Aunt Shelby is exhausted," Sarah popped her head into the dining room.

Rachel breathed a sigh of relief and jumped up from her chair, moving to start picking up the board game. She had all of the cards stacked together before any of the other kids even moved.

Sarah turned to head back into the living room and Rachel darted after her, not wanting to be left alone with her cousins and their questions again.

Goodbyes were said and hugs given all around, and then uncles, aunts, and cousins began to leave one by one. Rachel and Shelby waved from the porch along with John and Diane; once everyone was in their cars, the four of them turned back to the house.

They made their way back into the living room and Shelby slumped onto the sofa with a huge sigh. She closed her eyes and reveled in the quiet that overcame the house. As much as she loved her family, she was glad to see them all leave. She was exhausted and it had been a long day, and she was looking forward to crawling into bed for the night.

"Can we watch a movie?" Rachel asked as she plopped down on Shelby.

Shelby gasped as she was startled awake by the sudden weight on her lap. "Rachel! What the—Don't do that!" she yelled.

Rachel shifted on her mom's lap so she could turn questioning eyes on her. She didn't understand why her mom sounded so angry with her. "What'd I do?" she asked.

"You know very well what you did," barked Shelby, setting the girl unceremoniously onto her feet.

"Jeez, what crawled up your butt?" Rachel sassed.

Rachel's eyes grew wide and Shelby's flashed in anger as the girl's words registered for both of them. Shelby rose and reached for her daughter, her blood boiling hot in her veins.

* * *

 **That's it for this chapter. I hope you've enjoyed seeing Shelby the Daughter and not so much of Shelby the Mother this go-round. I have to admit, even I'm a bit peeved with her. She hasn't made the greatest decisions this chapter, and it's only going to get worse from here! Remember to check Tumblr for sneak peeks at the coming chapters!**

 **Let me know what you think! What was your favorite part? What are you looking forward to? What do you think Shelby's reaction will be to Rachel's comment?**


	10. Coming Home, Part Two

**Hello Readers! Finally, the next chapter. I really thought this chapter was going to come together a lot faster...annnnd it didn't. I wound up rewriting almost ALL of it, several times over. I'm relieved to be done with this installment—hopefully for good! ;)**

 **I hope you enjoy it. Please leave a review, I look forward to each and every one I get in my inbox!**

* * *

 **Chapter 10: Coming Home, Part Two**

Shelby's fingers wrapped around her daughter's arm and pulled her close. "What did you just say to me?" she asked, her tone icy.

"Nothing, I—"

"Say it again, Rachel, I dare you," Shelby bit.

"Mommy," Rachel whined, tugging at her mother's grip. Her heart beat fast as she eyed her mother nervously. "I'm sorry," she added prudently.

"Shelby, let her be," Diane ordered firmly.

"Mother, I can deal with my child without your input," Shelby gritted her teeth.

Her eyes never left Rachel's as her brain worked out what she should do. Her instinct was to swat the girl, but Shelby pushed that aside; she was agitated and knew that wasn't the best solution right now. But oh, it was tempting!

"That's enough. Rachel, help me clean up these dishes," said Diane, coming to the teen's rescue. "Shelby, go to bed. You need a good night's sleep."

The teen didn't need to be told twice and flew to her grandmother's side as soon as she was free from her angry mother's grip. She took the proffered mugs her Nana handed her and followed the woman into the kitchen.

Shelby ran her hand over her face and groaned, flopping back down on the sofa. She complained about her mother under her breath.

John chuckled and moved to sit next to his youngest, patting her knee in sympathy. "Why don't you go up and get ready for bed? You're exhausted and cranky. No sense making yourself miserable."

"It's too early. I'll never sleep through the night," Shelby shook her head.

"You're just as stubborn now as you were as a child," John teased.

Shelby rolled her eyes and settled an annoyed glare onto her father. "I'm not. And anyway, I have to get Rachel to bed first…It won't be much longer if she keeps that mouth on her."

"Let your mother and I handle her. You go on and take care of you," said John.

"That's not fair to you guys," Shelby argued.

"Nonsense. We survived your teen years. Rachel will be a piece of cake compared to what you used to say and do."

"I never talked to you and Mom like that," Shelby argued, waving in the direction her daughter had gone.

"No, you're right," John nodded. "What you said was generally much worse."

"Daddy!"

"Did you have fun tonight, Rachel?" Diane asked as she scrubbed at the mug in her hand. She rinsed it with hot water and handed it to the girl to dry.

"I did," said Rachel, focusing on her task for a moment. "I missed everyone."

"We missed you too, honey," Diane replied with a smile. "I'm glad you're home."

"Me too," Rachel agreed, setting the dried mug next to its companions on the counter. She turned to take the next one from her grandmother.

"Are you excited to move into the new house? You and your mom have a lot of shopping to do for furniture and all. And then unpacking everything—of course, everyone is going to come help next week, so it shouldn't take too long," Diane continued as she rinsed the last mug. She handed it off to Rachel before grabbing another towel to dry her hands.

Rachel lowered her gaze to the mug in her hand. "I guess so…I mean, I really love the house. It's just…" she trailed off. She wasn't sure if she should tell her grandmother about Quinn. She would probably tell Shelby and Rachel didn't want her mother to know.

"Just what, honey?" Diane asked, noticing the uneasy look that passed across Rachel's face.

"Nothing," Rachel sighed with a shake of her head. She set the mug down with the others and turned to leave the kitchen when her grandmother reached out to touch her arm.

"Rach?" the woman said, concerned.

"It really is nothing, Nana. I guess I'm just a little nervous about moving into a new house. I've only ever lived in the one with…well, you know," said Rachel, giving her grandma a sad smile.

"Things will turn out for the better, Rachel. Your mother loves you so much, do you know that?" Diane asked.

"I know," Rachel said immediately, looking up into the older woman's blue eyes.

"PopPop and I love you too, honey. So does everyone else. You're home now," Diane said, pulling the girl in for a hug and kiss.

"I know, Nana," Rachel sighed and rested her head on her grandmother's shoulder.

Diane pulled away and brushed Rachel's hair out of her face and placed a kiss to the teen's forehead. She smiled down at her warmly.

"Why don't you grab a brownie and go sit down in the living room? I'll be there in a minute and we can look through some photo albums, what do you say?" Diane asked.

Rachel's face lit up at the suggestion and she nodded happily. She had already had about five brownies, but she wasn't going to say no to another one. They were probably the best brownies she had ever tasted.

The girl was hurrying into the dining room in the next minute, coming to a halt in front of the table where the glass pan of brownies still sat from earlier. She snatched a napkin and cut herself a large piece before heading back towards the living room.

Shelby looked up when she heard footsteps in the hallway, recognizing her daughter's telltale skipping. "Rachel, you need to go take a shower," she called before the girl had even made her way back into the room.

"I'll do it in a bit," Rachel answered as she joined them.

"You'll do it—"

Shelby cut off mid-sentence as she focused in on the brownie tucked in her daughter's hand and narrowed her eyes. Somewhere in her brain, she realized that her annoyance at seeing the treat in her daughter's hand was probably unfounded, but on the other hand, Shelby knew for a fact that the kids had all eaten half a dozen brownies apiece and Rachel didn't need to be eating another one now.

"Give me that and go take a shower like I told you," Shelby said, holding her hand out expectantly.

Rachel gave no indication that she had heard her mother, except for the brief dirty look she directed at the woman.

"Rachel," Shelby warned. The girl was walking on incredibly thin ice.

"What?" Rachel feigned innocence.

"I know you heard me."

"Nana said I could have it," Rachel argued, moving to the other side of the room. She curled up in the recliner and brought the brownie to her mouth.

Before Rachel could take a bite, her mother was up and standing in front of her, a stern look on her face.

"And I just told you no," answered Shelby, her temper rising. "I'm not playing with you. Give it to me."

"No," said Rachel, glaring at her mother. She turned her whole body away from the woman and took a huge bite from the treat.

Shelby saw red and the restraint she had shown previously disappeared as her instincts took over. Without a word, she snatched the napkin and brownie from her child and slammed it down on the side table next to her. She then yanked a shocked Rachel up and turned her to the side.

"You do not tell me no," Shelby huffed, raising her hand high in the air. She let it hang for a long moment before bringing it down with all the strength she could muster. A second spank landed just as hard on the opposite cheek.

"OUCH!" Rachel yelped, trying to wiggle out of her mother's grasp. Her bottom stung and her cheeks turned red with embarrassment.

"Shelby, that's enough," John said evenly. He normally wasn't one to interfere when his children were parenting their own kids, but there were always exceptions. He knew Shelby was exhausted and not in the best of moods and felt he needed to step in.

Shelby had just been about to deliver a third swat when her father's words stopped her. She felt anger flare up towards the man as she lowered her hand. She turned Rachel around to face her, noting the girl's watery eyes.

"We will finish this discussion upstairs, young lady," she said firmly.

"Shelby—" John tried again.

"What's going on here?" Diane asked as she entered the room and took in the scene before her.

"Go wait for me in my room, Rachel," Shelby ordered.

"But, Mom—"

 _"Now."_

Rachel let out an angry scream and stomped off towards the stairs. She stomped up each step and then made sure to slam the bedroom door shut as hard as she could. A second, even louder, slam came from upstairs and Shelby closed her eyes in an attempt to calm her rising anger.

"That girl is going to get it," Shelby growled.

"You need to let it be for tonight, Shelby," John said calmly. "You're exhausted and angry—

"Of course I'm angry—Rachel has been rude and defiant for the better part of the evening. I'm not about to let her think she can get away with that sort of behavior," she declared.

"What happened?" Diane asked, concerned.

"Rachel kept talking back to me, that's what happened," Shelby fired. "I told her to shower and she wouldn't and then she had a brownie that she wasn't allowed to have and told me no when I told her to give it to me."

"Oh Shelby, I told her she could have the brownie," Diane revealed.

"Yes, she mentioned that," came Shelby's fierce reply. "The way you two have been acting—jumping in every time I'm parenting _my_ child—has Rachel under the impression that what I say doesn't matter because Nana and PopPop overrule me."

"You need to calm down, Shelly," said John. "Your mother and I aren't trying to overrule you, but you're not in the right state of mind to be dealing with Rachel."

"Excuse me?" Shelby demanded, her eyes blazing with fire.

"This is what I'm talking about," John said gently. "It's been a long day and you're exhausted—you're starting to react to everything out of anger. You need to take a step back. Get some sleep. You'll feel better in the morning and can talk to Rachel then if you feel you still need to."

"Stop talking to me like I'm a child, Dad," Shelby fumed.

"Shelby—"

"I'm done with this conversation," said Shelby. "I'd appreciate it if you two would keep your opinions about how I'm deciding to raise Rachel to yourselves. Believe it or not, I _do_ actually know what I'm doing."

With that, Shelby turned on her heel and walked determinedly towards the stairs. John and Diane watched their youngest take off up the stairs in a dignified yet no less dramatic storm-off than Rachel had done moments before. The only difference between their departures was that Shelby had managed to climb the stairs without the teenage stomping.

Shelby grumbled quietly about her parents most of the way upstairs. It wasn't until she reached the last few steps that the little voice inside her head pointed out that her dad may have had a valid point.

Shelby huffed as she begrudgingly gave in to her conscience. The truth was, she _was_ tired. And perhaps she _did_ react poorly downstairs. Still, that didn't mean that Rachel had the right to be rude or outright disobedient.

 _It's nothing that can't wait until the morning,_ her little voice said. Shelby nodded along with its conclusion.

Shelby paused outside her closed bedroom door, taking a moment to prepare herself. She wasn't going to fight with the girl; she'd send Rachel to take a shower and then she'd crawl in bed. They would talk more in the morning.

She sighed and turned the knob, opening the door. Her eyes fell on Rachel's turned back; she was sitting on the side of the bed furthest from the door, her head bowed. Shelby cleared her throat as she stepped into the room, not wanting to startle the girl.

"How long have you had this?" came the girl's angry voice.

Shelby frowned and furrowed her brows. "Had what?"

As she rounded the bed, her eyes fell on a brown box in Rachel's lap. Rachel leveled her with an icy glare as she drew nearer and Shelby groaned internally. She had completely forgotten about the package from the Berry men in the chaos of the day.

"It came earlier, when I was out with Aunt LuLu," Shelby started.

"What the hell, Mom! When were you going to tell me about this?" the teen demanded.

"Rachel!" Shelby scolded, her eyebrows raising in surprise.

"Why did you hide this from me? You should have told me!" Rachel continued.

"I wasn't hiding it. I forgot. We can open it in the morning, okay?" Shelby said, sitting down besides her daughter. She reached her hand out to pat the girl's knee.

"No, I want to open it now," Rachel declared, pulling away from her mom's touch.

"Rach, please. I'm exhausted and want to go to bed," Shelby sighed.

Shelby didn't have the patience to deal with this tonight. She wasn't sure what was in the box and she didn't want whatever it was to upset Rachel. She'd be more prepared tomorrow.

"So go to bed then," Rachel grumbled.

Shelby's brows rose in surprise once more and she took a steadying breath. She wanted to keep her promise to herself not to fight with her daughter, but Rachel was making that nearly impossible.

"Excuse me?" said Shelby, her voice stern.

"What? You said you're tired," Rachel shrugged.

"Rachel," Shelby warned.

"Mom," Rachel echoed the tone. "I don't understand why I can't open it. It's mine, it has my name on it!"

"I know it's yours, Rachel. It will still be yours in the morning and you can open it then," Shelby said in exasperation.

"That's so stupid! I should be able to open it if I want to, dammit!"

Shelby's anger roared back to life as the remainder of her self-restraint fell away. She snatched the package from the girl's hands as she stood and spun to glare down at her.

"Watch it, Rachel. Keep it up and I'll wash your mouth out," she threatened.

"Give it back!" Rachel snarled. Her eyes darkened as she leapt up from the bed and attempted to yank the box back. Her mother held it above her head, far out of Rachel's reach.

"You can have it back in the morning, if your behavior improves," Shelby returned.

Anger flashed across Rachel's features as she grabbed a fistful of her mother's shirtsleeve and tried to yank the woman's arm down. "Give it to me!" she yelled.

What the hell was her mother's problem, anyway? It was her box, her fathers sent it to her. She had every right to open it and her mother was acting like a complete psycho over it.

"I'm going to give you something," Shelby grumbled, struggling to free herself from Rachel's vice-like grip.

"It's not yours! You can't tell me when I can and can't open my things!" Rachel yelled. "This doesn't even have anything to _do_ with you! It's not all about you all the time!"

"I don't know who you think you're talking to, Rachel, but let me remind you, I am your mother and what I say goes! This is my decision and I said no," Shelby shouted back.

She finally broke away from the girl's grip and tossed the package behind them before turning back to glare at Rachel.

"You need to shower and go to bed. Now."

"You can't boss me around just because you aren't getting your way, Mom!"

"Rachel Barbra, you will do as I say!"

"I don't have to do what you say when what you say is complete bullshit!" she bellowed.

Rachel watched with wide eyes as her mother lunged for her. Her survival instincts kicked in just in time and she darted from the room, careening into the bathroom with lightning speed. She slammed the door shut, catching a glimpse of her angry mother barreling down the hallway towards her. She breathed a sigh of relief at the click of the lock and slid down to the floor.

"Rachel, you open this door right now!" Shelby ordered, pounding on the door.

"No! Go away!" Rachel yelled.

"Little girl, you are going to stop telling me no! Now open this door! We are going to talk about your behavior, do you hear me?"

"Why don't we talk about _your_ behavior?" Rachel returned as she stood from her spot on the floor. She glared at the closed door, as if she stared hard enough, she'd be able to pierce her mother through the solid wood.

Shelby growled and banged on the door harder. "Rachel Barbra Corcoran! You open this door _now_ before I break it down and give you the spanking of your life!"

"I'm taking a shower! That's what you wanted, isn't it?" Rachel fired back. She was angry and hurt by her mother's actions, but she wasn't about to let her mom know that.

"Fine! You take your shower and then get your butt to bed! I don't want to see you until the morning, and I expect you to apologize for the rudeness and defiance you've shown me all night. Do you hear me, young lady?"

" _Fine!"_ screamed Rachel, tears stinging her eyes.

She let out a frustrated snarl and spun on her heels, stomping towards the bathtub. A last glance back at the bathroom door and she was peeling her clothes off and tossing them behind her. She turned on the tap and pulled the lever up to direct the water to the showerhead.

A hand snaked around the flowery shower curtain to check the temperature of the water; deeming it satisfactory, Rachel slipped into the tub and under the stream. She closed her eyes and let the water fall over her head for a long time.

By the time she stepped out of the shower, her fingers were pruny and the room was filled with steam. Rachel wrapped the fluffy towel around her body and padded over to the sink. She swiped a hand across the mirror to clear away the steam and looked at her reflection. Her eyes and nose were red from crying; she frowned and turned her attention to her toiletry bag.

After brushing her teeth and hair, Rachel realized with a sinking feeling that she didn't have clean clothes to change into. She didn't want to put on her old clothes again; they had been in and out of the airport and outside playing with her cousins. Ordinarily, she wouldn't mind scampering in her towel across the hall and into the guest bedroom she occupied, but the girl was partially afraid that her mother would be waiting for her as soon as she unlocked the door.

 _Well you can't stay here all night either,_ she thought to herself.

With a huff, she traipsed over to the door and put her ear up against it, listening for any signs of her mother lurking on the other side. When she didn't hear anything, she carefully unlocked the door and eased it open, peeking through the small crack.

The hallway was dark and Rachel saw no signs of her mother or even her grandparents. With a deep breath, she flung the door open and dashed out into the hall. She held the tucked-in part of her towel extra tight as she ran the four feet or so into her bedroom.

Rachel flicked on the light as she shut the door. Her eyes searched the room quickly for any sign of her mother, but there was none. The teen wasn't sure if she was relieved or hurt. She had half expected Shelby to be sitting on her bed waiting for her to come out of the bathroom—to scold her, to yell…and maybe, to comfort.

The girl sniffed and wiped at her eyes quickly, letting her towel drop to the floor. She padded over to her suitcase and grabbed out a fresh pair of undies, along with the nightshirt she had slept in earlier that day.

As she climbed into bed for the night, snuggling up under the blankets with Henry tucked against her cheek, she replayed the events of the evening in her head, wondering how it went downhill so quickly. Lingering anger and hurt settled like a dense fog around her, enveloping her. Her mom had acted extremely unfair tonight; she was harsh and incredibly angry. It was so unlike the Shelby that Rachel had grown to know and love over the last month.

Rachel breathed out a long sigh, her eyes prickling at building tears. She was hurt and confused by her mother's last words to her. This was the first time Shelby had told her she didn't want to see her. It was such a huge contrast to Shelby's words on Monday. She had told Rachel that she could always come to her, even when Shelby was angry. Well, Shelby was angry now…so which of her mother's words were true?

Rachel swiped at her nose and rolled over, hoping sleep would bring her some solace. It didn't. She tossed and turned for ages, finally falling into a fitful sleep that didn't last. When she opened her eyes again to check the time, it was just after one in the morning.

With a frustrated groan, Rachel flung the covers off of herself and clambered out of bed to use the bathroom. After, she stood in the hallway, shifting on her feet as she debated whether or not to go into her mother's room.

Rachel desperately wanted to run to her mom for comfort; she wanted to be held and cuddled. She wanted to know that she was safe in her mother's arms and that everything was going to be okay. But Shelby's angry voice echoed in Rachel's ears: _'I don't want to see you until the morning'._

 _Technically,_ Rachel thought, _it_ was _morning._

If she were very quiet, she could sneak into the room and climb in bed without Shelby knowing. And if by chance the woman woke up, maybe Rachel could play off that she was sleepwalking.

Rachel took a deep breath and tiptoed down the hall to her mother's bedroom. She paused outside the door for a moment, her resolve waning.

 _Just go in,_ she told herself.

Another deep breath and a turn of the knob and the door was opened; she eased into the room soundlessly and crept towards the bed.

Shelby lay curled up in the blankets, no signs of the earlier anger present on her features. She looked peaceful as she dreamt and Rachel's lips pulled up in a half smile.

The girl tiptoed around the side of the bed, fully intending to climb in with her mom. As she passed the bench at the end of the bed, her eyes fell on the package that had caused so much trouble before. Temptation overwhelmed her and before she knew it, the package was in her hand and she was padding back out of the bedroom. She eased the door shut again and slunk down the stairs.

Rachel moved into the living room, flicking on the light as she went. She curled up into the recliner and stared down at the box in her lap. Her fingers traced the familiar letters of the tiny, scratchy writing of LeRoy Berry.

Her index finger picked at the tape along the side, lifting a corner. She paused for a brief moment, wondering if she should really be doing this. Her mother would find out she had opened it…would she be in trouble because of it?

Rachel decided she didn't care and ripped the tape off. Lifting the tabs, she opened the box and stared down at the contents. On top sat a light blue envelope with her name scrawled across the front again in LeRoy's handwriting. Underneath that were several of Rachel's movies and CDs that must not have been packed up with the rest of the boxes now sitting in her grandparents' garage.

As Rachel picked up the last movie, her breath caught in her throat. She gaped at the red Barbra Streisand DVD box set that she had wanted for _ages_ but never got, a mixture of happiness, shock, and confusion overwhelming her.

"Rachel?" a voice called, and Rachel screamed.

Heart racing, the teen threw the box and its contents on the floor and spun in the chair to see who had called her name. She was only marginally relieved to discover that it wasn't her mother, as she had feared, but her grandfather.

"PopPop, I—"

"Are you okay, Rach? What are you doing?" John asked, his voice laced with concern.

"I'm sorry, I—Um—I was just…don't be mad," the teen faltered as she jumped up. She snuck a glance at her grandfather anxiously.

"What? Why would I be mad at you, sweetheart?" John asked, thoroughly confused.

"I'm not in bed," Rachel answered.

"Well, neither am I, munchkin," John replied with a chuckle. "I couldn't sleep."

"Neither could I."

"How about some hot chocolate, Rach? I was just about to make myself some when I noticed the light on in here," John said, wrapping an arm around the small teen and leading them both towards the kitchen.

Rachel took a seat at the kitchen table and watched as her grandfather puttered around getting what he needed to make their drinks. He hummed to himself as he set the kettle on the stove to heat up.

"You know," John said as he grabbed out two mugs from the cupboard, "I used to have many late nights like this with your mom when she was growing up."

"Yeah? What would you guys talk about?" Rachel asked in interest.

"Oh, all kinds of things—and sometimes nothing at all," answered John, plucking two packets of cocoa mix from the box on the counter. He poured the contents into the mugs and then picked up the kettle, filling the mugs with hot water.

"Your mom liked to just sit with me in my chair and cuddle most times. She'd normally fall asleep in my arms," he continued, rummaging through the fridge for the whipped cream. He topped both mugs with a generous amount before turning back to Rachel.

John led his granddaughter into the living room and back to the recliner he had found her in before. He placed the mugs on the end table and then settled into his favorite spot.

"Come here, munchkin," he said gently, patting his lap.

"I'm too old," Rachel said, shaking her head.

Truthfully, Rachel wasn't used to a lot of open love and affection from family members, especially male ones. Her fathers certainly weren't ones to cuddle—at least not after she got older. She could remember sitting on their laps when she was very young, but she actually wasn't sure if those were memories or she had created them in her head. But PopPop always hugged and kissed her, and even her uncles hugged her often. It was all very strange for Rachel, but at the same time, she thought she could get used to it. Still, she was too old to sit on her grandfather's lap and cuddle.

"Nah, you're not," said John. "I cuddled with your mom on my lap when she was a lot older than you, munchkin. There's no age limit on cuddling."

After a few seconds, Rachel relented and went to climb onto her PopPop's lap. John wrapped his arms around the small teen and kissed her head. Then he handed a mug to Rachel before taking a sip of his own.

John smiled and pointed to Rachel's face and the whipped cream mustache she was sporting. He watched as the girl quickly licked her lips clean and gave him a sheepish smile.

"PopPop?"

"Hmm?"

"Why do you keep calling me munchkin? Is it because I'm so short?" Rachel asked, pouting slightly.

"Not at all, Rachel! I called your mother munchkin growing up, and you are so much like your mom, kiddo," John replied, rubbing Rachel's arm.

"I'm not _that_ much like her," Rachel disagreed, anger flashing in her eyes.

"You two had a rough night, huh?" John said in understanding.

"Yeah, because Mom was acting like a royal bit—"

"Rachel," John warned in an even tone.

"Well she _was_ ," the teen muttered petulantly. She sighed and turned her attention back to her drink.

"I know you're upset and angry, but that's no reason to call your mom names. She doesn't deserve that," John said.

"Well I didn't deserve what she did to me either," Rachel pouted. "She was yelling at me all night."

"You're right, you didn't deserve that either," John agreed. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Rachel sighed and fell silent, sipping on her hot chocolate. John was content sitting quietly as he drank from his own mug. He could see Rachel's gears turning inside her head, but he didn't want to push her. He had a feeling that if he sat long enough, she would open up to him on her own. After all, that's how Shelby was when she was younger, and whether the girl wanted to admit it or not, she was very much her mother's daughter.

John set his and Rachel's mugs back on the table when they were both finished and let the girl relax into his chest. He could tell she was starting to let her guard down; he could feel her muscles relaxing against him as she let out a yawn.

"There was a box with my name on it in her room," Rachel began, wiggling to try to get her foot flat on the floor. She lost her balance and tipped towards the carpet.

John reacted quickly, his hands moving to Rachel's waist to steady her. He watched as she bent down besides the chair to pick something up. When she stood, she was holding a plain brown box.

Rachel settled back on PopPop's lap and opened the box so he could see. "It's from my dads," she said, picking up the items inside to show the man.

"She told me I couldn't open it, but it's mine, PopPop. She kept yelling and said that I had to do what she says because she's my mother. But she wasn't being fair."

John sighed. "No, she wasn't being fair. She was tired and was acting in a way she shouldn't have been."

Rachel frowned and met her grandpa with sad eyes. "It wasn't my fault she was tired. I didn't deserve to be yelled at like that. She was so angry…and she's gonna be angry all over again when she figures out I opened the box. She told me that I had to wait until the morning," Rachel worried.

"I don't think she'll be angry, honey. I'll talk to her in the morning if it'll make you feel better," he soothed.

"I wasn't even planning on opening the box—not really. I went into her room before because I wanted to sleep with her. But then I saw the box and I just…I don't know," the teen confessed.

"I can understand that," said John, nodding along with the girl's words.

"It made me so mad when she said I couldn't open it. It's mine—why shouldn't I be able to open it? And it's not like I need her to look over my shoulder or hold my hand. I'm not a little kid—and I'm not so fragile that I can't do things on my own. It's just so _dumb!"_ Rachel ranted.

"Tonight wasn't the best night for you two to be talking about anything important. Your mom was exhausted and in a bad mood, and I can understand why that would make you angry too," John conceded.

Rachel nodded along with her grandfather's words, trying her best to stifle a yawn as she did.

"Tomorrow's another day and I bet you'll both feel loads better in the morning. Shelby just needs a good night's sleep—and so do you," he continued, setting the box and its contents off to the side. He smiled down at the girl as she blinked her eyes and yawned again.

"Getting tired, sweetheart?" John asked gently, running his hand over Rachel's hair softly.

"I'm not tired," Rachel said quietly, nestling her head in the crook of the man's neck. She liked how he smelled—it was musky and earthy, with a hint of peppermint.

"All your yawning would say otherwise," he chuckled as Rachel tried to stifle another yawn.

Rachel would have pouted, but the gentle vibrations of her PopPop's laughter soothed her and she closed her eyes. "I can't sleep," she said, snuggling closer to him

"Well then, you just sit here with me for a bit and we'll see if we can't fix that," John whispered as he began to run his fingers through Rachel's soft hair.

Rachel sighed and yawned again. She liked that her PopPop was rubbing her head and playing with her hair. It was very relaxing. And she really was tired, but it was true she couldn't sleep.

"Pop?" the girl asked drowsily.

"Yeah, munchkin?"

"I'm still kinda mad at Mom, but…"

"But what, honey?"

"I wish I could sleep with her," Rachel mumbled, rubbing at her eyes with the back of her hand.

John looked down at his granddaughter and smiled, imagining her as a toddler. She looked so much like a young child now that it wasn't hard at all for him to picture.

"C'mon Rach, I'll put you to bed with Mom," he cooed softly. He knew the girl was going to be asleep in a matter of minutes, and it was best if he got her back to bed now.

"No, I can't!" Rachel whined, shifting on John's lap.

"Of course you can, munchkin," replied John, trying to get the girl to stand up. She was stubborn—just like her mother.

"She's gonna be mad," said Rachel, opening her eyes enough so that she could look into her grandfather's face.

"I promise you, Rach, your mom won't be angry because you want to sleep with her," John said kindly.

"But she told me she didn't want to see me until the morning," Rachel protested.

"She didn't mean that, honey. She loves you. And if it'll make you feel better to sleep with her—"

"PopPop, I can't! Besides…I'm not a baby," Rachel whined.

John tried to hide his smile—Rachel would always be a baby in her mother's eyes, just as John's own children were still his babies.

"It doesn't make you a baby for wanting your mother, munchkin," he said, going back to rubbing Rachel's head gently.

Shelby watched from the shadows in the hallway. She really wasn't intending to eavesdrop, but when she heard what her father and daughter were talking about, she just couldn't bring herself to interrupt them.

Shelby had been tossing and turning all night as well. She was exhausted, but she couldn't seem to get to sleep and stay asleep, no matter what she did. She was replaying the earlier events over and over in her head and was feeling increasingly guilty. She had reacted horribly with Rachel and wished she could take it all back.

By two, she decided to get out of bed and check on Rachel. Maybe she would even crawl in bed with her. Shelby crept down the hallway and tiptoed into the room her daughter was in, only to find the bed empty. She had finally crept downstairs to find her father and daughter cuddling in a chair.

Rachel's words hit Shelby like a ton of bricks; this was her fault. She had made Rachel think she couldn't come to her when she needed to. Shelby wanted nothing more than to rush into the room and gather Rachel in her arms, but fear held her in place. What if she messed up even more? Besides, she didn't want to ruin the moment Rachel was having with her grandfather.

John soothed Rachel until she was dozing lightly in his arms. She was small for her age, and he could probably carry her up to bed without much issue. He was in no real hurry though—he liked being able to hold the girl close.

"Daddy? Is she asleep?" Shelby whispered, walking silently into the room. She smiled at her child tucked in her father's arms, sleeping peacefully.

"What are you doing up?" John whispered.

"I couldn't sleep…It's strange not having Rachel in bed with me. I went to check on her and she wasn't there. So I came down here," Shelby replied, maneuvering herself onto the armrest and leaning against her father like she had so many times as a child.

"She's perfect…My perfect little girl," she whispered as she looked down at her slumbering child.

"It's been a rough night for her," John said, staring into the hazel eyes of his youngest. Out of all of his children, only Shelby had inherited his eyes; the three older children all had blue eyes like their mother.

Shelby felt her face flush at her father's knowing look; she knew that look well. It was a quiet reprimand that had always affected Shelby more than any of her mother's stern words ever did.

"I feel awful," she confessed. "I never meant for Rachel to think she can't come to me whenever she needs to."

"I know you didn't, Shelbs," answered John. "I understand that you were tired today, but you can't let that get in the way when dealing with Rachel. I get that she pushed some buttons and you were frustrated, but she's a teenager, honey—that's what they do. They will test your patience at every turn, and it's your responsibility to rise above that and be the adult. You need to stop and think about your actions and words much more carefully now. Believe it or not, teenagers are just as much of a sponge as toddlers are."

"She was just so…She wouldn't listen, Daddy. It's me and her and I need her to mind me. I can't have her disobeying me. If she won't listen to me about the smaller things, how am I going to know she will listen when it's more important?"

"Shelby," John shook his head. "You have to learn to pick your battles. The brownie and the package…you were being unfair. You made them issues because you were exhausted and gave in to those feelings. You can't scream and demand things of Rachel without due cause. It'll turn out exactly as tonight did, every time. I seem to remember telling you that you needed to calm down and get some rest and that you could talk with Rachel more in the morning. Did I not?"

"But Daddy—"

"If you come down hard on her for every little thing, she won't want to listen when it's important. And you have to listen to what she's saying too, Shelby. You didn't do that tonight. You yelled and demanded Rachel do as you say because you were angry, and that's not the way to do it."

Shelby could feel her tears building, but she didn't want to cry and risk waking Rachel. She wiped at her eyes and sniffed a few times, getting it under control.

"Answer me this, Shelby—why were you so set on Rachel not being allowed to open her box tonight?"

Shelby sighed and bit her lip. "She always gets so upset whenever LeRoy and Hiram are brought up. I didn't want her to be upset while I was exhausted. I wanted to have a better head on my shoulders when I dealt with that," she explained.

John nodded along as Shelby spoke and placed a hand on her knee. He sat and patted her leg several times before speaking.

"Those are valid reasons," he said. The look of relief that washed over Shelby's face wasn't missed.

"That's not what you said to her, however," he added, and Shelby frowned.

"Rachel doesn't understand why you wouldn't let her open what is rightfully hers. She's angry and upset. She snuck down here to open it anyway and now she's worried she'll be in more trouble. She wanted to come to you tonight, but she told me you said you didn't want to see her until the morning. Shelby—"

"Daddy, please," Shelby begged, covering her face in her hands. Her tears were impossible to stop now as she choked back a sob.

"Believe me, I already feel awful enough. I never meant to do any of that or make Rachel feel that way! I've screwed everything up!" she wailed.

"Hey, that's enough," John said, his voice stern. He grabbed his daughter's wrist and pulled her hand away from her face so he could meet her eyes.

"You didn't screw everything up. Parents make mistakes too, Shelby—we're not perfect and are _allowed_ to mess up from time to time. It's what you do with those mistakes that matter, you know that."

"But—"

"No buts. This is a difficult situation, but you're doing your best—I know you are. You stumbled today, but I know you are going to learn from it. And Rachel will learn from it. One mistake does not cancel out all the good. Dust yourself off and start fresh. Let Rachel know you love her and that you make mistakes. Don't be afraid to apologize when you're in the wrong. Children need to see that their parents are human too."

Shelby nodded and wiped at her tears. Today had been a bad day; she had messed up both as a daughter and a mother. Her father's words made a profound impact and she took them to heart. She knew that he was only saying these things to help, but they hurt.

Guilt gnawed at Shelby's insides and she felt so much like a misbehaving teenager after all of her scoldings today. Part of her wished that she still were—things had been simpler then. She messed up and her parents were there to correct her and guide her back to the right path. Now she had to find her own way back to the path.

"You're a good mother, Shelby," John continued, knowing Shelby needed encouragement. "It's going to take time for you and Rachel to adjust. She's confused and learning what it means to be a part of this family, and you are learning how to be a mother and have a family. There's a learning curve, Shelbs. Don't be so hard on yourself."

"Thanks, Daddy," Shelby sniffed. "I'll make things right between me and Rachel."

"I know you will, honey," John smiled at his child. "I love you."

"I love you too, Dad."

"I think it's time we all get back to bed. It's late," said John, shifting Rachel in his arms.

"Rach, wake up baby," Shelby cooed, running her fingers along Rachel's cheek. "C'mon sweetie, it's time to go back to bed."

Rachel moaned and tried to brush away whatever was tickling her face. "Go…Leave me alone," she mumbled, shaking her head slightly. She was tired, why was she being bothered?

"C'mon baby, up you get," Shelby said as she pulled Rachel to her feet. She had to pull the girl close and was practically carrying her towards the hallway and the stairs.

"Goodnight girls," John said as he followed them with the empty mugs.

Shelby made short work of getting Rachel back upstairs. She steered her towards the bedroom Rachel had claimed as her own. Rachel fell into bed without any prompting and snuggled into the pillow. Shelby adjusted the blankets and found Henry near the end of the bed. She tucked the stuffed animal in her daughter's arms before crawling into bed next to her. She drew Rachel close as she pulled the covers over the both of them. Shelby knew there'd be a lot to talk about in the morning, but for now, she was content sleeping peacefully next to her child.

 **Open Arms * Open Arms * Open Arms**

Morning light shone through the curtains—directly into Rachel's eyes. The girl groaned and rolled over. She was surprised to see her mother snoozing away besides her. Rachel furrowed her brow and tried to remember when she had gone to her mother's room. As the sleepy haze lifted, Rachel realized they were in her bedroom. When had her mom come in?

Rachel was just trying to figure out what she should do when she saw Shelby's eyes fluttering. She let out a surprised gasp and tried to roll back over, but she was too late. Her mother's eyes flew open at her gasp and locked onto Rachel.

"Hey, kiddo," Shelby greeted. She yawned and reached a hand towards her daughter, wanting to pull her in for some much-needed snuggling.

Rachel's eyes grew wide and she leapt out of bed. "I—uh—bathroom," she sputtered. She turned on her heel and was gone in a flash.

Shelby bolted upright, a hand reaching out, but Rachel had already left. She sighed and rubbed her face.

Rachel shut the door as she entered the bathroom, locking it for extra measure. She hadn't expected her mom to be in bed with her or to have her wake up so suddenly. Her mind replayed their fights from last night and Rachel was in no hurry for the final round.

She wondered if she could get away with going downstairs and avoiding her mother for a time, but quickly brushed that aside. There was no way Shelby wouldn't follow her and then Rachel would be in even more trouble. No, she'd have to face this head on and hope for the best. She dreaded having to fess up to opening the package—surely that was going to reignite her mother's anger all over again.

There was still some lingering anger on Rachel's end over the whole debacle, but mostly she was sad. She was tired of the swirling emotions plaguing her from their fights last night. She didn't want to yell at her mother any longer, she just wanted things to go back to normal.

Rachel took as much time as she dared going to the bathroom and then brushing her teeth. When she came back to the bedroom, her mom was propped against the headboard looking expectant.

Shelby could feel her heart leap into her throat when Rachel came back into the room and she swallowed hard. "Let's talk, Rach," she said as she patted the spot beside her.

Rachel chewed on her lip but didn't move. She wanted to be far out of arms' reach when she said what she was about to say. She wanted the advantage of having a decent head start in case her mother had a bad reaction to her confession.

"Mommy…I—" Rachel paused to take a deep breath, "—I opened the box from my dads last night."

She finished and was surprised that she had sounded so brave—certainly braver than she felt. Her eyes darted up to meet her mother's briefly to see if the same fire from last night was present now.

Shelby's heart ached at the sight of Rachel so nervous. She needed to fix this— _now_. She climbed out of bed and took her first step towards her daughter. She could tell Rachel was about to bolt again and quickened her pace, reaching her just in time.

"I know about the box, Rach. PopPop told me."

Rachel had been preparing herself for a plethora of different reactions, but that was one she hadn't thought about. Before she even had a chance to sort out her feelings on her grandfather telling her mom she had opened the box, Shelby was pulling her into a hug.

"I'm so sorry for last night, baby. I was an idiot," Shelby said.

Rachel _certainly_ hadn't been prepared for that and tried to pull back, but her mom held her in a tight embrace. The teen felt herself slowly relax and give in to the hug.

"I'm sorry too, Mom," she said.

Shelby smiled and kissed the top of Rachel's head before resting her cheek against the soft hair. When she finally pulled back, she was relieved to see Rachel looking much calmer than she had moments ago.

"Okay, Rach, let's sit down," she said, leading her daughter back to the bed.

Shelby settled back against the headboard, pulling Rachel along with her. She took the girl's hands in her own and rubbed the backs of them with her thumbs as she decided how she wanted to begin.

"Rach…I made some big mistakes last night. I let my anger get the best of me. I was exhausted but that doesn't excuse my actions. I had no right to speak to you the way I did—or treat you the way I did. I'm truly sorry, baby."

"You were really unfair the whole night," Rachel added, focusing on their clasped hands.

"I was," Shelby agreed. "I'm sorry I—"

"You yelled at me over everything. You yelled and pushed me off your lap and then were so mean—I didn't know what I did and still don't. And you took the brownie away and smacked me—which, by the way, Mom, wasn't fair. Nana said I could have it," Rachel continued.

"I'm sorry, Rachel. It was wrong of me and I don't have an excuse for my behavior. I was being a bi—uh—controlling."

Rachel rolled her eyes as she barked out a derisive laugh. "That wasn't the only thing you were being 'controlling' about," she muttered.

Shelby nodded and reached out to tuck Rachel's hair behind her ear. "I know," she soothed.

Rachel frowned and moved her head away from her mother's fingers. She didn't want to be told that her mom 'knew'. She wanted her mom to hear how she had made Rachel feel. She wanted her to know she had been completely out-of-line. Her thoughts began to race and Rachel could feel her anger starting to bubble and build up inside her. She had to get it all out before it consumed her.

"And what was your problem with the box my dads sent? You went completely ballistic over it. You had no right to tell me I couldn't open it last night—especially since you didn't even have a good reason! You just wanted to tell me what to do and expect me to follow along with whatever you want whenever you want it! And—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Shelby surrendered, her hands in the air.

"Mom! You can't stop me from telling you how I feel!" Rachel argued.

"Honey," Shelby soothed, "I'm not trying to stop you from telling me your feelings. Can we take it one at a time though?"

"Fine," Rachel huffed, crossing her arms.

"Okay," Shelby nodded. "You're right—I did go ballistic. I shouldn't have told you no. But I did have a good reason."

"Because you're my mother and you say so isn't a good reason," Rachel scoffed.

Shelby pursed her lips and shut her eyes for a moment, collecting her thoughts. Opening them again, she met Rachel's dubious glare.

"I was afraid you were going to be upset by whatever was in the box. I wanted to wait until I was able to deal with that," she began.

Rachel rolled her eyes and let out a disgruntled huff. "It was a couple of CDs and movies they forgot to send. Big whoop. Oh, and waiting until you could 'deal' is complete bullsh—"

"Rachel!"

Another eye roll, but otherwise Rachel ignored her mother.

"I'm a big girl, Mom. I can handle opening my own mail without you breathing over my shoulder."

Shelby raised her eyebrow, but didn't comment further on Rachel's language—there was time to discuss that later. Instead she focused on the meat of the issue.

"I know I didn't explain myself properly last night, and I'm sorry for that, Rachel. I also know you can open your own mail without my help—it was never about that, but I'm sorry I made you feel that way. I only wanted to be there for support," she said.

Rachel sighed and nodded as a bit of her anger melted away. She appreciated her mom acknowledging her feelings and offering an apology for it.

Shelby took Rachel's nod as a good sign and continued on with the girl's next grievance.

"As for telling you what to do and expecting you to listen—yes, I do expect that. I am the parent and I make the rules—" she held her hand up to silence Rachel when the girl looked ready to butt in. "—but I was wrong for expecting that last night."

Rachel seemed satisfied with that statement, and so Shelby continued. "It's my job to recognize when I'm angry and to take the appropriate steps to calm down, and I didn't do that. I should have never sent you away from me out of anger—it should always be done to give us both time to calm down."

"You said you didn't want to see me for the rest of the night…But you said before that I can always come to you, even when you're mad. You lied," Rachel said in barely more than a whisper. Tears stung her eyes and she quickly brushed them away.

Shelby's heart constricted at her daughter's words and she immediately wrapped her arms around her girl. She felt Rachel latch onto her, her fingernails digging into Shelby's back.

"I never meant to lie. It isn't a lie…I made a horrible, horrible mistake last night. I can't tell you how sorry I am for that, Rachel. I'm so ashamed of myself," Shelby breathed, her own eyes burning from the tears she refused to let fall.

Shelby squeezed Rachel tight and then pulled back, still holding onto her arms. "I am so, so sorry, Rachel. You didn't deserve that and I'll…I'll never forgive myself for s-saying that to you."

Rachel stared deep into her mother's eyes, right down into her soul. She could see herself mirrored in the earthy green and brown irises glistening with tears. Something else was there as well, reflecting back at her—immense pain. And sadness. It was so intense, Rachel could feel it reverberating in every fiber of her being. She extended the index finger of her right hand and touched the lone teardrop that had fallen onto her mother's cheek, wiping it away. As she removed her finger, more flowed and soon the dam was freed, sending torrents down Shelby's face.

"Mommy, don't cry," Rachel said even as her tears began to fall. "I forgive you!"

Shelby choked out a sob and crushed Rachel to her in a fierce hug. "Oh Rachel, I love y-y-you so much! I'm so sorry for ev—everything!"

Rachel buried her head in her mother's shoulder as soon as she was pulled close and cried her heart out. The pain and anger she had been harboring since last night drained away with every tear that fell.

Mother and daughter stayed in each other's arms long after they had both stopped crying. Neither one of them wanted to let go.

Shelby rubbed Rachel's back in soothing circles for a long time. She took a breath and slowly untangled herself from Rachel. The girl's eyes were bloodshot and puffy and her nose was red; she imagined her appearance was similar.

"Rach, there's one last thing I'd like to talk about, and then I think we should both go shower," she began.

Rachel straightened up and rubbed her nose. It felt clogged and runny all at once, and she was thankful when her mom handed her the box of tissues. She blew a few times as her mother did the same and then looked at her expectantly.

Shelby balled her used tissues together and reached for the ones her daughter had tossed onto the bed, throwing them all away in the wastebasket tucked under the nightstand.

"You know, Rach, I'm more than a little alarmed at the way you were speaking to me last night and again just before," Shelby said.

Rachel furrowed her brows and gave her mom a questioning look. What did she mean, the way she had been speaking? How had she been speaking?

"Huh?"

"You were very disrespectful towards me, Rachel, and I don't appreciate it," said Shelby, her voice taking on a stern tone.

"What?" Rachel balked, her eyes narrowing. "But you were acting crazy and being unfa—"

"And we've already discussed that and I've apologized. I know I made mistakes, honey, I'm not denying that. But that doesn't mean you're blameless in all of this."

"But, what— _How?_ I—"

"You cursed at me several times, even after I gave you multiple warnings. I don't want you saying those words period, but especially not when directed at someone. It's rude and nasty to speak to someone that way, and incredibly disrespectful. I don't want to hear it again, Rachel, do you understand?"

"But Mom, it's not like I said anything really bad!" Rachel whined. "You're acting like I said the f-word…and even that—it's just a word."

"A word I better not ever hear you say, young lady," Shelby warned.

Rachel huffed and rolled her eyes. Her mom was making too big a deal out of this. Rachel had grown up hearing her dads cuss all the time. They were just words, and then only syllables. They had become absolutely meaningless after a time.

"I'm serious, Rachel," Shelby chided. "Like I told you last night, I _will_ wash your mouth out with soap if I hear you speak like that again."

"That's not fair! You cuss," Rachel argued.

"I do," Shelby agreed. "The difference, however, is I am an adult and I know how to censor myself. Furthermore, Rachel, I don't speak to you or anyone else that way and I will not allow you to do it."

"It's not my fault. My dads cussed like sailors," the teen mumbled, a deep pout on her face.

"Be that as it may, Rachel, in this family, we don't," Shelby said firmly as she tucked that bit of information away for later. She wasn't happy with Rachel's colorful language, but at least she knew where she had picked it up from; she'd keep that in mind as she worked on correcting the behavior.

"It just slips out," the girl whined.

"Well, from now on, I want you to think about your words a bit more carefully. Take a moment to consider what you are going to say before you say it. If you decide you need to curse and be disrespectful, you know what the consequence will be," Shelby stated calmly.

Rachel sighed and ducked her head. She had to admit defeat. She didn't want to be scolded anymore and besides, her mom was starting to make her feel guilty about what she had said.

"I was angry with you when I said all that stuff, but…I'm sorry I was disrespectful," she conceded. "I'll think about what I say."

Shelby smiled and hooked a finger under Rachel's chin to tilt her head up. "That's all I can ask, Rach. Thank you for the apology. It's all forgiven, okay?"

"Okay," Rachel nodded with a relieved sigh.

Shelby leaned forward and placed a kiss on Rachel's forehead. "We're going to move forward from here and both be more aware of how we speak to each other. I don't want a repeat of last night—on either of our ends."

"Me neither," said Rachel.

"We'll hold each other accountable, okay?" Shelby said.

Rachel furrowed her brow and gave her mother a dubious look. "Okay, Mom," she rolled her eyes.

"Hey, what?" Shelby prompted.

"Well, being 'held accountable'—" Rachel emphasized with air quotes, "—is just a grown up's fancy phrase for being told off and punished. So how am I _really_ gonna hold you accountable? You don't have to worry about anyone swatting you or—or washing _your_ mouth out with soap. That's not fair."

"Oh Rach," Shelby couldn't help but laugh, "Believe me, I have to worry about that any time I'm in the same room with Nana."

"Mom," the teen whined.

"Okay," Shelby sobered. "Serious answer…Anytime you feel I'm being unfair or acting out of anger, I want you to tell me. I'm not perfect, honey—I might not always be aware of it. Let me know. I promise I'll stop and take a step back."

"Really?" Rachel questioned, still not convinced.

"Really," Shelby repeated. "That doesn't mean I want you to yell and be rude back. We can always have a conversation, but I want you to be respectful. I will be as well. Deal?"

"Deal," Rachel nodded.

"Okay," Shelby smiled, kissing the girl's head again. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm ready to wash my face and feel fresh for a new day. Maybe Nana will make us chocolate chip pancakes and then you and I can go shopping for all new things for the house. What do you say?"

Rachel's eyes lit up at the mention of chocolate chips and shopping. She nodded enthusiastically as she sat up on her knees and wrapped her arms around her mother's neck.

"I love you, Mommy," she whispered into the woman's ear.

Shelby's laughter tinkled like a bell as she enveloped Rachel in her arms. "I love you too, baby," she smiled and patted a gentle rhythm on her daughter's bottom.

Shelby's heart swelled with pride as she held her child close. They had just experienced their first ever honest-to-God, all-out fight—and came out stronger because of it. Whatever the future held, Shelby knew she and Rachel could handle it, together.


	11. Settling In

**Hello Readers! I know it's been a long time since my last update. Life is crazy right now. And it didn't help that my muse went AWOL for a bit. This chapter went in a different direction than what I had originally planned, but I think it worked out well in the end. I hope you enjoy it.**

 **Leave a review and let me know what you think!**

 **Love from, DARecruit**

* * *

 **Chapter 11: Settling In**

Rachel was happy to not be at the house and ecstatic to not be anywhere _related_ to the house. In the last five days, Shelby and Rachel had done nothing but go from store to store, buying décor and furniture. At first it had been fun, shopping for her bedroom set and helping her mom choose pieces for other rooms. Rachel especially liked picking out all the extra things for her room and others—like the string of star lights that she thought would look _amazing_ hanging on the wall above her bed, or the mother and baby elephant sculpture that she had insisted they couldn't leave without.

She enjoyed choosing her bedspread, sheets, and pillows for her bed, and was happy to go to the rug store to help pick out various area rugs for their home. She even didn't mind going to buy their televisions and other electronics. When their shopping trips started involving _Lowes_ and _Sears_ to look at big appliances is when Rachel lost all interest.

So it was a treat to be sitting in the playroom of her aunt and uncle's house on Wednesday afternoon, playing a _Lego Star Wars_ video game that her three little cousins said she would love. She didn't know anything about _Star Wars_ , but she had to admit that the game was fun.

"Use the Force, Rachel!" Tyler exclaimed.

"How do I—"

"Press the square!" Robbie shouted.

"Rachel!" all three boys cried when Rachel's character, once again, exploded into pieces.

"Hey, what's all the ruckus in here?" Ben asked as he stood in the doorway.

"Rachel keeps dying!" Tyler moaned.

"She sucks!" Robbie agreed.

Ben raised his eyebrow and made his way over to his boy. "You need to apologize to Rachel right now, Robbie. We don't use those words in this family, and we don't direct them at anyone. It's hurtful."

"I didn't mean _she_ sucks, just at the game," Robbie explained, his tone sincere.

"I'm glad to hear that, buddy, but you still need to apologize. And I don't want to hear you using that word again, okay?" said Ben.

"I'm sorry, Rachel," Robbie said, turning to his cousin.

"It's okay, Robbie," Rachel answered.

Robbie turned back to Ben, who nodded in approval. "Okay, bud, five minutes in the corner," he said. Robbie shook his head and pleaded with him.

"You know the rules, son. Language like that gets you a time-out," Ben stated firmly.

"I didn't mean it, Daddy!" whined the boy. "I won't say it again."

"I trust you, buddy. The corner time will remind you not to say those words, won't it?"

"I don't want to!" Robbie complained, stomping his foot.

"I don't want to give you a pop on your butt either, but I will if you aren't in that corner in the next three seconds. One."

Robbie's eyes grew wide and his self-preservation kicked in; four bounds had him over to the corner and his nose stuck in it to wait out his punishment.

Rachel watched the exchange between her cousin and uncle with interest.

She couldn't help but notice the similarities between how Uncle Ben handled this situation with how her mom dealt with her the other day. He was calm and took the time to explain, and even said much of the same—this family didn't use words to hurt each other.

Satisfied that his son was doing what he should, Ben turned to the three other children in the room and smiled warmly at them.

"You guys getting hungry? Aunt Shelby and Rachel are staying for dinner. I'm gonna grill up some burgers and dogs—what do you guys want?"

"I want a cheeseburger!" Luke said excitedly.

"Hotdog!" Tyler said at the same time.

Rachel grimaced at the dinner choices; she didn't like either, but she didn't want to be rude. Her uncle's eyes turned to her and she schooled her features.

"I'm really not that hungry, Uncle Ben," she said.

"Well dinner isn't going to be ready for about half an hour or so. You'll be hungry by then, I bet," said Ben.

Rachel shrugged, trying to buy herself time. "I, uh…had a big lunch," she said.

"Okay," Ben nodded, "Well, tell you what, I'll make some extra in case you change your mind."

"You don't have to do that. Really, I'm not hungry."

"It's no problem, sweetheart," Ben said, leaning down to place a kiss to Rachel's head.

Rachel sighed and tried to argue more, but Ben was already walking away from her and toward Robbie.

"Alright, son, you've served your sentence," Ben said as he knelt. He smiled and pulled Robbie into his arms as soon as the boy turned around.

"I'm sorry for using a bad word, Daddy," said Robbie, resting his head on his father's shoulder.

"Over and forgiven, pal," answered Ben.

Moments later, Robbie was sitting back with his brothers and Rachel and acting as if nothing had happened. He wasn't pouting or acting nervous around his dad. He was perfectly fine. Rachel frowned and wondered how he did it; she certainly never went back to normal so quickly after a punishment.

As dinner drew near, Shelby found herself trapped on the sofa with her two littlest nephews as they asked her question after question about her new house.

"Do you have a pool, Aunt Shelby?" Tyler asked excitedly from atop his aunt's lap.

"No, pal, no pool," Shelby answered, echoing the boy's pout.

"Well you could get one, couldn't ya? So we could all come swimmin'? I'm getting good at swimmin', you know. I can hold my breath for ten whole minutes!" the boy chattered, throwing his arm around Shelby's shoulders.

"I can hold mine for fifteen!" Robbie said, not to be outdone by his brother.

Shelby chuckled and placed an arm around either boy (they had both climbed onto her lap, each claiming a leg as their own), and held them close.

"Ten and fifteen whole minutes!" Shelby gasped. "You two must be part fish!"

"Mommy says we're part Irish," Tyler offered.

Shelby laughed and nodded. "My mistake."

"Are you going to get a playset for when we come visit? Can we spend the night with you and Rachel?" the boy continued.

"Once we get settled in, we can plan for a sleepover," Shelby promised.

"This weekend?" Tyler asked excitedly, his little face lighting up.

"Not this weekend, kiddo, but soon—I promise," said Shelby.

"You need to get Rachel a _Playstation_ , Aunt Shelby. She needs an awful lot of practice. She's not good at all!" Robbie said.

Rachel looked up from her phone and the group message with Haley and Lexi and smirked at her mother and cousins' conversation. Part of her was jealous—she wasn't used to sharing Shelby's attention, and seeing how her mom interacted with the small boys made Rachel wish she had had moments like that with her mom when she was the twins' age.

"Dinner's ready, everyone!" Ben announced as he came into the living room. "Boys, go wash your hands, please."

Shelby smiled and helped the boys to their feet before turning to Rachel. "Let's go wash up too, Rach," she said to the girl, holding her hand out for Rachel to take.

Rachel's stomach rumbled as she and her mom sat down at the dining room table. She hoped there would be something she could eat; in all truthfulness, she hadn't had much for lunch and was starving now.

"I hope you're hungry! Ben cooked up dozens of hotdogs and hamburgers!" Lisa said as she carried a plate of each into the room.

Luke followed a moment later carrying a salad bowl in one hand and a plate with hamburger fixings in the other. Then Ben entered carrying a large casserole dish filled to the brim with gooey homemade mac and cheese.

Rachel sighed in relief. She could at least have mac and cheese and some salad, and she could always ask her mom to pick her up something on the way home if she was still hungry.

There was general commotion as everyone settled into seats and started fixing their plates. Ben and Lisa were busy getting the boys food while Shelby grabbed a cheeseburger for herself.

"Do you want a burger, Rach?" Shelby asked.

"No, that's okay," Rachel answered, reaching for the mac and cheese.

"Hotdog then?" Shelby continued.

"Nah."

"You've got to eat something—that's not going to be enough," said Shelby, nodding to her daughter's plate. She had a scoop of macaroni and a bit of salad, and Shelby knew she must be hungry.

"I'm not that hungry," Rachel said.

"What's wrong, Rach? My cooking's not that bad, I promise," Ben interjected.

"No, it's not that. I'm really not hungry. Honest," Rachel insisted. Her stomach seemed to have other plans, deciding now was a good time to grumble loud enough to rattle the windows.

"Sounds to me like you're the opposite of not that hungry," Ben said, cocking his eyebrow at the teen.

Rachel blushed and fidgeted in her seat. She lowered her gaze but could feel the adults all staring at her, waiting for an answer. She wished they would drop it and let her be.

"Rachel?" Shelby prompted.

"I'm fine," Rachel mumbled.

"What's wrong, honey? Are you feeling okay? Why don't you want to eat?" ask Shelby, her voice laced with concern. She reached her hand out to place on her daughter's forehead.

The teen let out a long sigh and slowly met her mother's eyes. "I just don't _like_ hamburgers or hotdogs," she said in barely more than a whisper, lowering her gaze once more.

"What? Rach," Shelby chuckled with relief, "Why didn't you say something?"

"Rachel, if I had known you didn't like what I was making, I would've made you something else," Ben said at the same time.

Rachel sighed and shrugged. "I didn't want to be a bother," she said just as softly.

"You could never be a bother," Ben said as he stood and went to the teen's side. He knelt to be more at eye level with her and grabbed her chin gently in his hands.

"I'd much rather you tell me when something is wrong so I can fix it. I'll make you whatever you want, sweetheart, you just need to tell me. "

"Really, Uncle Ben, I'm fin—"

"Don't tell me you're fine, young lady," Ben scolded, his tone light. "I'm not about to let you go hungry. Now, what would you like to eat? I can make you chicken or we've got some popcorn shrimp. I've got steaks in there, and…what else? Oh! I've got some ham steaks I can cook up real quick, if you want that?"

The teen shook her head at her uncle's suggestions. "You don't have to," she said.

"Rachel," Ben warned, "I'm going to make you something to eat, you might as well tell me what you want. Otherwise, I'm going to make some of everything and let you have your pick."

Ben stood and raised his eyebrow at the small teen in front of him. She wasn't about to out-stubborn him—he had more practice.

Rachel looked to her mother for help, but Shelby just shrugged and nodded towards Ben. The girl rolled her eyes and sighed, her gaze turning back to her uncle.

"I'm going, Rach," Ben said, heading towards the kitchen.

"Popcorn shrimp!" Rachel yelled after him.

 **Open Arms * Open Arms * Open Arms**

On Thursday afternoon, Shelby found herself trapped inside her daughter's closet, surrounded by boxes of Rachel's clothes. She held up two sweaters, each embroidered with an animal on the front, and frowned; a quick glance into the box turned up dozens of similar sweaters.

"Hey Rach? What do you say we go shopping for some new clothes soon?" she called, dropping the sweaters back into their box. Shelby was all for self-expression, but she thought her girl needed a gentle push in the right direction.

"Huh?" Rachel sighed from the window. "Yeah, sure."

"Whatcha doing, babe?" Shelby asked, tripping over the boxes as she climbed from the closet. She made her way over to the teen and rested a hand on her shoulder, looking out the window over Rachel's head.

"We moved in with a bunch of old people," Rachel said, watching the older couple next door weeding their garden.

"Not true," Shelby disagreed, rubbing her daughter's back, "I saw a girl who looks just about your age in the blue house next door. If the car is there when we head back to Nana and Pop's later, we'll stop by and say hello."

Rachel grimaced as her mind worked quickly to come up with an excuse. "What, Mom, like…knock on their door? That's lame," she said, hoping she sounded convincing.

"It's not lame, silly, it's what you do when you move in. In fact, we should go say hi to that couple outside now," Shelby chuckled, turning from the window and pulling Rachel along with her.

"Mooooom…"

Shelby smiled as she shook hands with Mr. and Mrs. Richmond. They were a charming couple that reminded the woman of her own parents. Mrs. Richmond had a soft voice and Mr. Richmond was well versed in dad jokes.

"I can't believe we're meeting you—and living next door to you. What a pleasure!" gushed Mrs. Richmond. "We saw you in one of your first ever off-Broadway shows when you were still wet behind the ears. What show was that, Jim?"

" _Love, Aubrey_ , wasn't it?" replied Mr. Richmond.

"That's it!" said Mrs. Richmond. "Oh, we just loved you! We've been huge fans ever since! Oh, but listen to me yammer on! You don't want to listen to an old lady go on and on. Don't mind me, dear."

"It's lovely to meet you," Shelby chuckled lightly. "I'm honored by your words. Thank you."

"Do you and Rachel like apple pies? I make a darn good apple pie, I must say! I'll make you one," the older woman went on. She didn't wait for an answer before she was heading for the house, talking excitedly to herself.

"Oh, I—" Shelby trailed off, watching the woman go.

"She makes the very best pies," Mr. Richmond smiled.

"I believe you. Please tell her not to go to all this trouble for us though," answered Shelby.

"She's in her glory, young lady," said the man. "You've made her day."

"Well…I guess I can't argue with that," said Shelby. "It was very nice meeting you, Mr. Richmond," she said, extending her hand once more.

"Please, call me Jim. It was nice meeting you as well, my dear," he replied, holding Shelby's hand in both of his. "I should go and help Betty with that pie."

"See? That wasn't so lame, was it?" Shelby asked as she steered Rachel back into their house a minute later.

Later that evening, Shelby was curled up in bed in the guest room at her parents' house, reading _The Da Vinci Code_. It was an easy, quick read and it helped distract her from the stress of the move, as well as her annoyance with her parents.

It wasn't that Shelby wasn't grateful to her parents for all their help in the recent weeks—they opened their house for Rachel and Shelby to stay as long as they needed, and even gave Shelby free reign of her father's _Toyota Camry_ while she was deciding on the car she wanted to buy. Yes, Shelby was thankful, but they were driving her crazy. She had been on her own since twenty-two, doing what she wanted when she wanted. Staying with her parents for more than a few days had Shelby feeling like a teenager again.

 _One more day_ , she reminded herself. Their beds were being delivered tomorrow and she and Rachel could officially move into their house.

There was a knock on the door and Shelby sighed, her gaze falling on the clock on the nightstand. It was just after one in the morning. It was no doubt her mother coming to tell her to go to bed, as she had done practically every night this week. Shelby wasn't a child, she didn't need to be told when to go to bed, thank you very much. That never seemed to stop her mother, however.

"Come in," she sighed, setting her book down.

"Mommy?" a soft voice called before the door was all the way open. Rachel peeked her head in the door and gave her mom a small smile.

"Hey, honey," Shelby greeted, sitting up straighter. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just…Can I sleep with you?" asked the teen.

"Of course you can, Rach," Shelby smiled, patting the spot next to her.

Rachel's face lit up and she hurried over, jumping onto the bed and landing on her knees. Shelby felt the mattress ripple and was uprooted from her comfy position for a brief moment before settling back down. She smiled and opened her arms for her girl, kissing the teen's head as she curled into her side.

"I miss this," Rachel mumbled, resting her head against her mom's chest and listening to the woman's heartbeat.

"It has been pretty hectic, huh?" said Shelby, patting the girl's bottom in a gentle rhythm. Rachel nodded her agreement with a deep sigh.

"Things will quiet down," Shelby soothed. "We'll be sleeping in our own beds in our own home tomorrow. That's bound to improve things immensely," she added with a chuckle.

Rachel let out a big yawn and snuggled closer to her mom. She was exhausted and being in her mom's arms made her feel safe.

Shelby smiled and kissed Rachel's head once more, relishing this moment. She hadn't gotten to spend much one-on-one time with her daughter this week, what with all the chaos of the move and constantly being around family members. As much as she loved her big family, she would be happy when they could get back to it being just the two of them.

As the minutes passed, Shelby could hear Rachel's breath evening out. She shifted and looked over and sure enough, Rachel was fast asleep.

"C'mon, honey, let's get under the covers," she whispered as she untangled herself from the girl.

She made quick work of maneuvering the sleeping teen under the blankets before tucking them up around her. She brushed a lock of hair out of Rachel's face and placed a gentle kiss on the girl's forehead. Then with a yawn, she reached over and turned off the bedside lamp before snuggling in for the night.

 **Open Arms * Open Arms * Open Arms**

Shelby climbed the stairs to the second floor, carrying a basket of Rachel's bedding straight from the dryer. She had sent the girl up nearly an hour ago with a set of sheets for each of the newly arrived beds and told her to put them on while she finished washing the rest of the bedding.

The mother peeked into her bedroom and frowned when she noticed her bed was sheet-free. She rolled her eyes and nudged her daughter's half-closed door open.

"Rach, why didn't you make my bed? I thought I—" she trailed off the moment she caught sight of her daughter. The girl was passed out atop her half-made bed, arms and legs spread out like a starfish.

Shelby shook her head as she set the basket on the floor and pulled out a teal microfiber throw. She shook the blanket out as she stepped over to the girl's bed and laid it over Rachel.

"Sweet dreams, baby," she whispered as she leaned over to kiss Rachel's head.

As Shelby turned to leave the room, her eyes settled on the folded sheets sitting on Rachel's tufted, cream-colored computer chair.

"Rachel," she breathed with a roll of her eyes, picking up the sheets and leaving the room.

Shelby walked into her room directly across the hall and looked around. The room was spacious, with tons of natural light pouring in through the double windows in the front and the two slimmer ones on the left side of the room. The walls were painted a muted teal, and Shelby had picked soft, cream-colored furniture to complement and provide an overall sense of tranquility.

The king-size bed with upholstered headboard sat perfectly centered between the two windows on the left wall. Two nightstands sat on either side of the bed, and a tufted storage bench was placed at the foot of it.

Shelby had made a seating area in front of the large double windows overlooking the front yard. It was important to her to create a space for herself where she could come and relax at the end of a long day.

Moving over to the bench, Shelby plopped the rose-colored sheets for the guest room's queen bed atop it. The pillowcases and flat sheet for her bed were dropped next to it while Shelby moved to put the fitted sheet on.

She stepped back to inspect her bed a few minutes later and nodded in approval. The place was starting to shape up. She had to wait until her comforter and shams were dry to finish, but this was a good start. She headed off to tackle the guest room.

Shelby flopped down on the blue sectional sofa in the living room ten minutes later, exhausted. She let her eyes droop as she rested her head against the back cushion.

It had been a long day. Mother and daughter had stayed up until just before two in the morning, and then Shelby got them moving at seven. The beds were supposed to be delivered between nine and eleven, and Shelby wanted to beat the morning traffic.

Shelby surprised Rachel by stopping at a little diner close-by to their new house to have breakfast, just the two of them. They got to the house at eight-thirty and Rachel talked Shelby into helping her hang up the string of star lights in her bedroom. After that was done, the teen convinced Shelby to help hang her numerous wall art, including a hot pink New York script sign, three gold star magnetic wall boards, and a set of three white-framed pin boards.

The mother had left her daughter to figure out the last two framed prints (a yellow polka-dotted heart and matching LOVE design) in order to work on the kitchen cabinets. She had a few more shelves to lay contact paper in and then she could finish unpacking the dishes and pots and pans.

By the time Shelby finished everything in the kitchen, the beds _still_ hadn't been delivered, so she decided to get a head start on washing all of the bedding for them. The beds finally came at ten fifty-six, and Shelby had sent Rachel upstairs with her task at twelve-thirty.

Just as Shelby was dozing off, the doorbell rang. She groaned and sat up, wondering if she had forgotten that something else was being delivered today. With another groan, she pushed herself off the sofa and headed for the door.

Surprise flitted across her face as she answered the door to find her brother Ben and his children standing on her threshold.

"Hey Shelbs," he greeted, "So the boys and I were in the neighborhood and thought we'd stop by. Hope we're not intruding."

"No, of course not," said Shelby, stepping aside to let them in. "What's in the box?" she added, gesturing towards the wrapped package tucked under her brother's arm.

"Oh this? Just a little present for Rachel," answered Ben.

"Aunt Shelby, where's Rachel?" Tyler asked, peeking around Shelby to look into the living room and then meeting her eyes.

Shelby began to answer that Rachel was upstairs taking a nap, but she had only been able to get out the first part before the twins tore off up the stairs with thunderous footsteps.

"Boys! Wait!" Shelby called after them, knowing that her daughter could be exceptionally grumpy when woken before she was ready. She wanted to avoid that at all costs. "Don't wake her—"

"MOOOOOM!"

"Up," she finished with a sigh. _Too late,_ she added to herself.

"Boys!" Ben yelled. "Sorry, Shelby."

"It's fine. Why don't you and Luke relax for a minute? There's sodas and all in the fridge. Help yourself. I'll go save the boys from Rachel," Shelby said, mounting the stairs.

Rachel was mad. Furious, actually. She had been having the best dream about her opening night on Broadway when, suddenly, something heavy fell on top of her. She woke with a start and screamed for her mother. As the room came into focus, she realized two bodies were sitting on her.

"What the fu—Get off me, dammit!" she yelled, sitting up and sending one of the twins tumbling backwards.

"Rachel," the one still upright said in awe.

"What?" she snapped, rubbing at her eye with the back of her hand.

"You said a bad word!" he exclaimed.

"Well it's rude to jump on someone while they're sleeping! What are you doing here anyway?" Rachel huffed.

"We bringed you a present," Tyler said.

"You brought me a present? Really?" Rachel asked, her anger dissipating. A twinge of guilt bubbled in her stomach as she looked at her little cousins and the eager and excited expressions on their faces.

"Daddy has it downstairs. We aren't 'spose to tell you what it is though. It's a surprise," Robbie added as he pushed himself back up into a sitting position.

"Guys, I'm sorry I snapped at you…and for saying the bad word. I didn't mean it," she said.

Shelby stood just outside her daughter's bedroom, listening to the conversation inside. She hadn't heard what 'bad word' Rachel had said; she had come up just when her daughter was telling the twins that it was rude to jump on a person when they were sleeping and had to stifle her laugh. That poor girl. The twins then went on about her present and Shelby could hear Rachel's tone change. She was about to make her presence known when she heard Rachel's apology and paused, not wanting to interrupt that moment.

"It's okay, Rachel. Luke doesn't like when we do that to him either. We just get so excited sometimes," Tyler said.

"Is Aunt Shelby gonna make you stand in the corner, Rachel?" Robbie asked.

"And why would I make her do that?" Shelby asked as she made her presence known. She had to hide a smirk at the three stunned faces staring back at her.

Rachel met her mother's eyes nervously before turning her attention to her cousins. She tried to catch their eyes, but both boys were staring transfixed at Shelby.

"Rachel said a bad word," Robbie said immediately.

Rachel groaned and slumped her shoulders.

"She did, did she?" Shelby said, eyebrow raised.

The twins nodded in unison and Tyler added, "Yeah, but she didn't mean it. It was just an accident, Aunt Shelby. She said sorry."

"Well I'm glad to hear that," Shelby replied. "Now, boys, I want you to go downstairs with your dad and brother. Rachel and I will be down in a few minutes."

"Are you gonna spank her?" Robbie asked, concerned.

Tyler looked at his brother, then to Rachel, and finally Shelby. "Daddy would spank _us_ if we said that word," he said in the same tone.

"Downstairs, boys," Shelby said, helping them off of Rachel's bed. She patted their bottoms to get them moving.

Rachel watched her cousins go and then looked at her mom with apprehension. She gulped as Shelby turned back towards her and stepped closer to the bed.

"So what word did you say, Rachel?" Shelby asked.

"Mom, I'm sorry," said Rachel.

"What word, Rach?" Shelby repeated, now standing at the side of the bed, just an arms' length from the girl.

"Mommy, I didn't mean to say it. They jumped on me and startled me and I—I was asleep!"

"Rachel—"

Tears stung the teen's eyes and she swiped at her face to brush them away. "I said dammit. I didn't mean to say it, honest! I'm sorry," she hurried to say.

"Oh, honey," Shelby breathed, moving to sit on the bed besides her child. She extended her arm and pulled Rachel close.

"Are you gonna wash my mouth out?" Rachel sniffed, her mother's recent threat ringing in her ears.

"No, Rach, I'm not," Shelby answered, running a hand down Rachel's hair.

Rachel sighed in relief for a moment before another thought occurred to her. "You…you aren't gonna _spank_ me, are you? 'Cause I cussed in front of the twins?"

Shelby couldn't help the laugh that escaped. "I'm not going to do that either."

"You're not?" Rachel asked, her brows furrowing.

"Nope," said Shelby, popping her 'p'.

"But…why?"

"Do you want me to spank you?" Shelby chuckled, cocking an eyebrow at the teen. "I can arrange that," she added, beginning to pull the girl over her knee.

"No! No, no—Mom! Don't!" the teen squealed, her heart now beating fast as she found herself staring down at her carpet.

"Easy, Rach," Shelby laughed, resting her hand on her daughter's bottom, "I'm just teasing."

"What?" the girl exclaimed, jerking her head around to stare incredulously at her mother.

"You can't be held accountable for what you say after being frightened awake by two seven year olds pouncing on you. You aren't in trouble," Shelby answered.

"Then why did you scare me?" Rachel whined.

"I couldn't pass up the opportunity," the mother laughed.

"Not funny, Mom!" Rachel complained, moving to get up off her mom's lap.

"It was pretty funny," Shelby teased, holding her daughter in place.

"Mom, let me up."

"What? And miss my chance?"

"Chance to do what?" Rachel asked, her tone suspicious.

"This," answered Shelby, popping her child one good time on the rear. She followed with a second swat before releasing her hold on the girl. Rachel popped up from her lap in an instant, turning to give her a pout.

"That wasn't fair," she protested.

"Life isn't always fair," said Shelby, kissing Rachel's head on her way out of the room.

"Mom!" Rachel called after her retreating back, stomping her foot. She waited a moment before letting out a loud huff and following after.

 **Open Arms * Open Arms * Open Arms**

Sunday morning found Shelby and her mother, Diane, preparing meatballs for the weekly family dinner. Normally Sundays were spent at Mom and Dad's, but since Shelby and Rachel's house was officially unpacked, Shelby wanted to have everyone over to celebrate their housewarming.

Shelby couldn't remember a time when there _wasn't_ a Sunday family dinner, but according to her siblings, they had started when Shelby was a toddler. Because Shelby was so much younger than the rest of her siblings, it became a rule that the three older siblings had to have dinner with the family every Sunday; John and Diane wanted their youngest to still be able to see her siblings frequently.

Shelby had only been six when Jack went to Ohio State. He lived on campus, but had come home every Sunday as promised so he could spend time with his baby sister. Ben had gone off to school a year later, and Lauren three years after that. By the time Shelby was ten, she was the only child in the house, but all of her siblings made sure to come home at least once a week to see her.

Family Sundays still continued, but had expanded over the years. Sarah had joined the family when Shelby was twelve and became Shelby's sister-in-law two years later. Lauren married Todd when Shelby was seventeen, and finally middle brother Ben married Lisa when Shelby was twenty-one. Shelby loved her siblings' spouses just as much as she loved her siblings, and they had all known Shelby since she was still very much a kid. They had all looked out for her and even helped her out of a few sticky situations over the years.

The first Sunday as a college student for Shelby also marked the first Sunday she wasn't at family dinner. She could remember being extremely lonely her first semester; it was hard to get used to being so far away from her family. She loved New York, but Shelby had missed her parents and siblings. It had helped meeting Sasha in her freshmen English class. The two had become fast friends and she had even come home with Shelby on long weekends.

Shelby was shaken from her thoughts when shouting started coming from the basement. She rolled her eyes and shook her head at her mother.

"I'm going to kill Ben when I see him," she growled.

The 'little present' that Ben had been oh-so-kind to get Rachel turned out to be a _Playstation_ and a copy of the game she had been playing with the boys on Wednesday.

"Oh, Shelby," Diane tsked. "She's having fun. So is your father."

No sooner had her grandparents shown up at ten than Rachel had recruited her PopPop to join her team. The pair had been downstairs for an hour and a half already, their laughter and shouts echoing up into the kitchen every few minutes.

"I'm glad they're having fun, but she's done nothing but play that game since Ben set it up on Friday. I can't get her away from it," Shelby complained.

"The novelty will wear off before you know it. Don't worry, dear," Diane soothed as she moved to wash her hands.

"I'm still going to kill Ben," Shelby muttered to herself.

"Keep rolling the balls, Shelby. I'll be right back," Diane said.

Rachel heard the footsteps on the staircase but ignored them. She and her grandfather were at a part in the game she hadn't gotten to yet and she couldn't stop now!

"Five more minutes, Mom," she said, focusing on her combination moves. She was getting pretty good at the game and was ready to show off her skills to her little cousins when they came over later this afternoon.

"It's time to take a break, Rachel. Your mother and I need your help in the kitchen," Diane said.

"Aw, Nana," the teen whined. "Just a bit more, please?"

"We just got to a good part, sweetie!" John joined in, his tone matching Rachel's.

"Save it and come help!" Diane declared, emphasizing her words with a clap of her hands. "You've got two minutes. Don't make me get my slipper out," she added as she started back up the stairs.

Rachel groaned and John chuckled. "We better do as she says, munchkin. Your Nana doesn't joke about her slipper," he said.

"She doesn't have it _with_ her, does she?" Rachel worried.

"I don't want to find out. Do you?" John returned, hiding a smirk.

Rachel's eyes grew big and she quickly saved and turned their game off. She was up and darting up the stairs in the next second. John held back his mirth until he was sure the child was out of earshot before letting it out with a loud chortle.

Shelby looked up in surprise at the sound of Rachel tearing up the stairs, shocked at her promptness. When she tried to drag the girl from that game downstairs, it took her at least three attempts before she was successful.

"Hey, baby. Wash your hands and then wanna help me make meatballs?" she asked the girl.

"Ew, gross," Rachel grimaced.

"Okay," Shelby laughed with a roll of her eyes, "You can cut up the tomatoes and onions for the spaghetti sauce instead."

Rachel sighed. She didn't want to do _that_ either, but she caught sight of her grandmother out of the corner of her eye and the woman's slipper threat replayed in her head. This was her first experience with that threat and she didn't want to chance it, so she hastened to obey.

Shelby smiled and came to wash her hands as well so she could get her daughter set with her task before returning to her own.

Rachel had chopped up all of the tomatoes and was sniffling her way through the onions when commotion from the foyer caught her attention. Seconds later, Aunt Lauren, Uncle Todd, Haley and Michael came into view and the girl's face lit up.

"Haley!" she called. "Mom, can I go now?"

"Wash your hands again and yes, you can go. I'll finish up," Shelby replied.

"Going? Where are you going?" Todd asked as he and his family entered the kitchen. "We've got a present for you."

"A present?" Rachel asked, turning from the sink, her hands dripping.

"Rach, don't make a mess!" Shelby groaned, moving to her daughter's side and forcing her arms back over the sink.

Rachel rolled her eyes and finished washing her hands before taking the proffered tea towel from her mom.

"Am I allowed to open it now?" Rachel questioned.

"Hmmm, I don't know," Todd drawled. "Maybe we should wait until everyone gets here, what do you think?"

"I wanna see her open it!" Michael piped up.

"Well, I guess that's okay," Todd agreed with a smile. He pulled the gift, wrapped in purple and gold striped paper, out from behind his back and held it out to his niece.

Face aglow, Rachel took the gift and shook it, listening close to see if she could guess what was in it. She screwed her lips up; there was no sound.

A chorus of chuckles tinkled around her and Rachel caught sight of her mom rolling her eyes good-naturedly at her.

"Just open it, Rach," Shelby smirked.

Rachel ripped the paper off and her eyes lit up at the item inside. It was a karaoke game complete with a pink jewel-studded microphone.

"Wow! Thank you so much!" Rachel squealed.

"We heard from Uncle Ben about his present, so we thought this would be a good addition for you," Todd smiled warmly, glad that their gift was received so well.

"Thank you," Rachel repeated, accepting a hug from her uncle.

Rachel was then passed to her aunt and happily ran off to the basement with her cousins directly following.

Ben, Lisa, and the boys were next to arrive, bringing with them a casserole dish of Lisa's mac and cheese and a housewarming gift for Shelby (bath salts and a bottle of her favorite red wine).

"Is Rachel any better at the _Star Wars_ game yet?" Robbie asked in greeting.

Shelby rolled her eyes and gave her brother a look before turning to her nephew. "I'm sure she is. She's been playing nonstop since you guys brought it over for her. They're all downstairs," she said.

"Glad to hear she's enjoying her gift," Ben laughed.

"Oh yeah, it's a real hit," Shelby deadpanned.

Diane called the children upstairs when Jack and his family arrived, laden down with several large wrapped packages.

"What's all this?" Shelby asked, eyeing the boxes suspiciously. "Is that all for Rachel? That's way too much! You're going to spoil her!"

"We're making up for lost time," Jack shrugged with a sheepish grin. "And we brought you presents too."

Shelby started to argue, but the kids came pouring up from the basement with boisterous giggles and chatter, drowning out her words of protest.

"Hey, kiddo! Happy housewarming!" Jack said loudly to be heard over the commotion.

Rachel grinned ear-to-ear as she was presented with more gifts. The girl had been shocked at the first gift, and confused at the second. Now she was just excited. She may not completely understand why her aunts and uncles were buying her expensive presents, but Rachel wasn't dumb—she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

The teen's eyes went wide as she opened these newest presents to reveal the Rock Band game, complete with drum set and two guitars. She let out a little squeal when she realized it came with a microphone as well.

"Awesome!" Tyler exclaimed, his eyes big as saucers.

"Can we play?" Robbie asked, eyeing the drum box.

"Big kids have first dibs!" JJ declared.

"That's not fair! You guys always group me with the little kids!" Michael whined.

"Hey, everyone can get a chance. No need to fight," Jack said diplomatically.

"No one is playing anything right now," Shelby announced, ignoring the groans from the kids.

"What? No! Why?" Rachel whined.

"You've been playing on that thing too much as it is. Let's give it a rest," said Shelby.

"But, Mom—"

"It's a beautiful day out. You kids need to go out and play," Shelby interrupted her child.

"Aw, no!" came the groans from all eight children.

Shelby sighed. She wasn't used to being the 'bad guy' in her nieces and nephews' eyes, she was normally cool Aunt Shelby. Still, she stuck to her guns and shook her head.

"Go on," she ushered kids towards the back door, patting bottoms of the stragglers to keep them moving. "We'll call you in as soon as the food is ready."

Shelby watched and waited to make sure the kids were outside and _staying_ outside before she turned to her siblings, a sly smile on her face.

"Who wants to go play _Rock Band_ with me? I've got dibs on the mic!" she said, grabbing a box and tearing off downstairs.

* * *

 **That's it for this chapter! Please let me know what you thought of it! And let me know if there's anything you'd like to see in the coming chapters. Right now, the plan is that the next chapter will focus on Rachel breaking her arm and Shelby's feelings of guilt over that, followed by the chapter where Lexi and Quinn hang out with Rachel, pissing the girl off to no end. Any and all thoughts and ideas from you are welcome and appreciated! And thank you to you all for sticking with me with this story. I know it's slow going, but if it weren't for you, I wouldn't be writing.**


	12. Broken

_**Hello Readers! It's been a bit of a wait, I know. My muse wasn't cooperating with me for a long time, and then real life reared its ugly head. I lost my grandfather at the end of January, on my grandmother's birthday, in fact. Our relationship had been confusing at best these last few years. I had come out and then married my wife, and my grandpa couldn't understand. I was able to see him in August of last year, and I even introduced him to my wife. The meeting went well. He seemed happy to see me and he was kind to my love. I regret not seeing him at Christmas, or telling him we're pregnant (just reached 6 months). I had been hoping to introduce him to his great-granddaughter this summer. Anyway...that's what's been going on with me.**_

 _ **I'm excited about this chapter. It's a bit of old mixed with new. I hope you enjoy it. Please leave a review or send a PM and let me know what you thought of it!**_

 _ **All my love, DARecruit**_

* * *

 __ **Chapter 12: Broken**

"Ha! I carried you losers through that song!" Shelby gloated at the end of the song _'Creep'_.

"Yeah, well, all you have to do is sing. No one's denying you're good at that. You try playing the drums and see how well you do!" Jack grumbled.

"I'll _still_ kick your butt, big brother," laughed Shelby.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"Ben, gimme your guitar," Jack said as he stood from the sofa. "Have a seat, Shelbs," he added, motioning towards the play drum set.

Shelby picked up the drumsticks and took her seat at the drums. She glared at Jack as he stood with his guitar, a look of stubborn determination on his face. Lauren took her spot as bass guitarist and Ben grabbed the microphone; he was no Shelby, but he had a pleasant singing voice.

The siblings were waiting for the song to start when yelling could be heard from upstairs, followed almost immediately by heavy footfalls on the stairs.

"Dad! Aunt Shelby! You gotta come quick!" Luke shouted.

"What's wrong, buddy?" Ben asked in concern.

"Rachel's hurt! She's crying!" the boy revealed. "It's bad."

Shelby's heart jumped into her throat and she was up and running for her baby before her nephew's words were all the way out.

Adults and children alike were crowded in a circle around the kitchen table when Shelby emerged from the basement. Rachel's cries were bloodcurdling and Shelby could see the girl through a gap in the group, her face ruddy with a mixture of tears, sweat, and dirt.

"What happened? What's wrong?" Shelby demanded as she moved towards the group, pushing her way into the circle.

Todd and Lisa, who were trying to both comfort the distraught teen and assess the situation, moved aside to allow Shelby to take over.

"The kids were playing kickball and Rachel and JJ collided with each other. Rachel says her arm hurts, but she hasn't let us look at it. She wants you," Todd explained.

Rachel's crying intensified as her mother came into view. "M-M-Mommy! It hurts!" she wailed.

"Let me see, sweetie. Where does it hurt?" said Shelby, leaning down to be more at Rachel's eye level.

"W-Wrist," Rachel choked out, holding her injured arm close to her body and refusing to let her mom get a good look.

"Baby, you have to let me see. Please," Shelby said softly after a moment.

"No, it hurts," cried Rachel, shaking her head and sending tears flying.

"I know," Shelby cooed. "Please let me see, honey," she begged, kissing Rachel's head. As she pulled back, she brushed the sweaty tendrils of hair sticking to the girl's forehead away.

"Rachel, I brought you some ice," Jack said, moving to stand at Shelby's side. He caught his sister's eye and gave her a reassuring smile.

Rachel's tear-filled eyes travelled up to her uncle's and she eyed him warily. She had a feeling he was going to try to touch her arm and she didn't like that any more than she liked the idea of her mother touching it. Her arm hurt! It was like a fiery knife was jabbing her in the wrist, and the pain coursed up her arm in waves.

Jack moved slowly, not wanting to frighten Rachel any more than she already was. He could tell she was about to fly off the handle and that was the last thing that needed to happen right now. From the way she was acting, he was pretty sure that she had broken her arm. As a father of two and an uncle to six—not to mention a knuckleheaded daredevil as a kid—Jack had dealt with his fair share of injuries.

He eased himself down on one knee in front of the girl, holding the towel-wrapped bag of ice out towards Rachel in a peace offering. "This will make your wrist feel better, but you have to let me look at it first—to make sure it's not serious," he said, his tone gentle.

Rachel whimpered but slowly eased her left arm away from her injured right so her uncle could take a look.

Jack held his niece's arm in his hands as carefully as he could. He couldn't see any obvious breaks, and her arm still looked straight. He noticed it was a bit warm around her wrist.

Shelby placed an arm around Rachel and let the girl lean into her side as Jack began lightly touching her daughter's wrist, which caused Rachel to hiss and try to pull her arm away.

"Can you squeeze my finger for me, Rach? As hard as you can," Jack said, holding out his index finger.

He noticed that Rachel winced as she went to grasp his finger and she couldn't get a firm hold at all. He sighed and stood up to his full height.

"Put the ice on it, sweetheart. That will help keep the swelling down. Shelby, I think she needs to go to the ER," he said in a calm tone.

"ER? Is it broken? Do I need to call 911? Should we make a splint?" Shelby questioned.

"No! I don't want to…go to the…E-ER!" Rachel blubbered.

She was hurting and scared and she hated hospitals. They always smelled weird and the few times she had had to go, it always included needles and IVs. She hated needles and anything that had to do with blood. Just the thought of it had the girl trembling and she was positive she could feel her own blood coursing through her veins at this very moment.

"I know, but we need to make sure you're okay," Shelby soothed. "It will be alright," she added as much for herself as for her daughter.

Her eyes flicked from Rachel's pained and frightened face to the worried faces of her family.

"Well let's not stand here staring at one another!" Diane took charge. "John, get the car, we're taking the girls to the hospital."

"No, Mom, you don't have to do that," Shelby hurriedly declined.

Shelby was strong. She knew that no matter how hard, she could get through a trip to the ER with a scared kid. Doing that with the addition of her mother? The woman wasn't sure _anyone_ was strong enough for that!

"It's no problem, Shelby," answered Diane.

"But what about the food? It's all still in the oven and I don't want everyone to leave without eating. I'm sure it won't take us all that long and we'll be back and—"

"Nonsense, Shelby, you two shouldn't have to go alone. There's no reason you can't have some support with you," said Diane with a wave of her hand.

"I'll take them," Jack interjected.

"Thank you," Shelby mouthed to her brother as she ran to get her purse.

Rachel received careful hugs from her family as they all wished her luck and told her everything would be fine. The adults gave out dozens of kisses a piece and all told her they loved her.

Shelby returned a moment later with purse in hand and quickly hugged and kissed her family before guiding Rachel out the back door after Jack. Shelby helped Rachel into the back of Jack's red four-door pickup truck and climbed in after her, sitting in the middle so that she could be close to her and provide whatever comfort she could.

Rachel let her mother buckle her up and immediately leaned into her right side, breathing in the comforting scent of vanilla and coconut.

 **Open Arms * Open Arms * Open Arms**

It was nearly four o'clock and Rachel _still_ hadn't been called back. They had been sitting in the waiting room for more than two hours already, and Shelby was beginning to get angry. She watched as person after person was called and here she sat with her hurting baby while others that came _after_ them were taken _before_ Rachel. Shelby was losing her patience.

Rachel sat on a sofa in between her uncle and mother, holding her arm close to her body as she leaned up against her mom's side, her head resting in the crook of Shelby's neck. She was tired and her arm throbbed. It was starting to swell and bruise, and her icepack had long ago turned warm. Uncle Jack had managed to find a bag and had gotten some ice, but even that was mostly melted by now.

Shelby had her arm wrapped around her daughter and was humming to her softly, not knowing how else to comfort her child. She knew Rachel was hurting, and she could see the swelling around her baby's wrist. Jack had said that that was normally a sign of a sprain, but the doctors would know more.

"This is ridiculous," Shelby said to her brother, pulling Rachel closer when the girl whimpered. "Some of these people going back aren't as hurt as Rachel. How much longer are we expected to wait?"

"Shel, we have to be patient. You know how ERs work. They take more important cases first," Jack said calmly.

"And Rachel isn't an important case?" Shelby shot back. Shelby could feel her mama bear instincts coming out, and God help anyone who got in the way of her and her daughter.

"Of course she is, Shelly. She'll be seen soon, I—"

"Stay with Rachel. I'm going to go see what the hold up is!" Shelby said, standing up. "Mommy will figure this out, baby," she added gently to the very scared and hurting teen who was staring up at her with watery eyes.

"Shelby, come back!" Jack called after his sister's retreating back.

Shelby stalked over to the nurses' station and glared at the woman behind the counter. Somewhere in her head, she knew she needed to control her temper, but Mama Bear was taking over and Shelby was going to do whatever was necessary for Rachel.

"My daughter is in a lot of pain and we have been waiting for almost three hours already. When is she going to be seen?" Shelby asked, biting back the venom as much as she could.

"Ma'am, she will be seen just as soon as possible. We have to take those who are experiencing more serious symptoms first and then we get to the patients with lesser complaints," the nurse replied.

"Yes, I realize that, but there are others who have been called before my daughter and there is _no_ way they are more serious than her injury! She could have a broken arm! She is in _pain_!" Shelby yelled. She knew people were starting to stare, but she didn't care. She needed these idiots to help her daughter— _now_!

"Ma'am, please, you must be patient," said the nurse as if she was talking to a small child. That sent Shelby's blood pressure shooting skyward.

"Do you know who I _am_?" she asked incredulously. Normally she wasn't the type of person to use her fame for her own personal gain, but in this instance, Shelby wasn't above it.

"I-I…of _course_ I know w-who you are, ma'am, I—"

"I'm sorry for my sister's behavior. This is her first experience with an injured child and she's being a little ridiculous," Jack said as he came up behind Shelby to save the poor nervous nurse from his sister who was about to rip her throat out.

"Jack, I am _not_ —"

"Again, I'm sorry," Jack said to the nurse before he grabbed his baby sister by her arm and dragged her off to the side like he would one of his children when they were acting up.

"You need to calm down. I understand you are upset and want to help Rachel, but right now you'll be most helpful sitting with your daughter and trying to keep _her_ as calm as possible. She's scared, hurting, and doesn't like hospitals—she needs her mother. Now go sit back down with Rachel and behave yourself before I haul you off to the truck for a little discussion."

Jack hadn't really meant to say the last sentence—he had forgotten he was talking to his grown sister for a moment and not his teenagers—but he decided to go with it. It was already out, after all.

Shelby blushed and hung her head at her brother's scolding. Her belly did a little flip at his not-so-subtle threat. Shelby didn't think he was being serious, but then again…she hadn't thought he had been serious when she was nineteen and she had shown up at his house intoxicated. She had driven herself, which she knew was a stupid idea, but she had only had a few beers—and it wasn't a long drive. Shelby knew she'd be in trouble if she went home to her parents, so she figured her big brother would let her crash at his and Sarah's house for the night. He had been more than willing to let Shelby stay with them for the night, but that was after he chewed her out royally for her stunt and then told her to go take a shower before he came to blister her butt.

Shelby had scoffed but went to shower just the same. She was just crawling into bed when Jack knocked on the guestroom door. She remembered him telling her that he truly did not want to have to do what he was about to, but he was doing it because he loved her and didn't want to see her hurt herself or someone else by driving drunk—and yes, buzzed driving was drunk driving. He then pulled Shelby over his lap and true to his word, had blistered her butt. Shelby couldn't sit comfortably for a whole day after that spanking. She had learned her lesson, however, and never again made that same mistake.

"I-I'm sorry, Jack," Shelby said, glancing up at her brother. She felt so much like a teenager in this moment. She knew her brother was right though—she needed to be keeping Rachel calm. "I just want Rachel to been seen and stop hurting."

"I know you do, I know," Jack sighed, reaching a hand out to place on his sister's shoulder. He squeezed reassuringly.

"It's…it's all my fault," Shelby choked, wiping at the tears that escaped her lashes.

"Hey now, that's not true," Jack soothed, pulling Shelby into a quick hug,

"I sent them outside so we could play that stupid game instead," Shelby lamented. "If I had just let them go back downstairs like they wanted, none of this would have happened!"

"Shelbs, the kids needed fresh air. If you hadn't have told them to go play, I'm sure one of us would have. And besides, it was an accident. There's no way to know or prevent them. That's just part of childhood and raising kids," Jack replied.

"I hate that she got hurt and I can't fix it. It's killing me, Jack," Shelby sniffed.

"I know," Jack breathed, his heart going out to his sister. He knew all too well what it felt like to stand by and helplessly watch while your kid suffered.

"I'm scared," said Shelby.

"I know," he repeated, pulling Shelby into his arms and hugging her tightly. "Everything will be fine, but you need to be strong for Rachel right now. You can fall apart later, and I'll be here and hold you while you do so, but get it together for right now. For Rach," he said, kissing Shelby's head.

Shelby breathed in her brother's scent; it was so much like their father's. She could remember clinging to Jack after he spanked her and him telling her how much he loved her. He said he would be lost without her and was always going to be there for her, even if it meant giving her a kick in the pants when she needed it. And here Jack was, still helping Shelby through the sticky spots and giving her a kick back in the right direction.

Rachel was happy when her mom and uncle came back over to join her. She hated sitting by herself and had begun shaking not long after her mother had left her to go talk to the nurse. Her tremors had only gotten worse when Uncle Jack got up to follow after.

As soon as Shelby sat back down, Rachel was immediately in her lap. Shelby felt a huge pang of guilt when she felt how much Rachel was shaking. She had been trying to get her daughter seen faster, but she should have stayed with Rachel and just held her.

"I'm sorry I left to fight with the nurse, baby," Shelby whispered into Rachel's ear. "I won't leave your side again."

"Mom, let's go home. I want to go home," Rachel whined, curling up in her mother's arms. She didn't care that she was sitting in her mother's lap in public; she was scared and needed her mom to hold her.

"I know, honey. I want to go home too, but we need to have you looked at first," Shelby said gently, kissing Rachel's head.

"No, let's just go. Please, Mommy," Rachel begged, tears forming in her eyes.

Shelby's heart broke at seeing her daughter so upset. She wanted to make everything better, but she couldn't right now. She wished she could take Rachel home and forget about all of this, but Rachel was hurt and needed to have her arm looked at. Shelby couldn't just take her home.

"Baby, I promise we'll go as soon as we can," she soothed, patting the side of Rachel's leg.

"No, let's go _now_!" Rachel argued, untangling herself from her mother's arms and standing up. She was wound up and she just had to get out of here. She wanted to be anywhere but in this waiting room at the moment. "Mom, c'mon," she whined, trying to pull her mother up with her left arm.

Rachel was having absolutely no luck getting her mother to stand up and leave with her. It was making her angry. Tears of frustration began to make their way down her face and the girl stomped her foot and huffed loudly.

"You're being so unfair," she accused her mother as she angrily swiped at her eyes with her good hand.

Shelby gave her daughter a sympathetic smile and pulled her back onto her lap, holding tightly as she struggled in her arms. "I'm sorry you think that, sweetheart. We're not going home right now though," she replied, feeling tears prick at her own eyes.

"You're so mean!" Rachel cried, burying her face in her mom's neck. "Take me home," she pleaded. She didn't want to be here anymore, and she didn't care how much her arm hurt. She wanted to go home.

Shelby held Rachel tighter, cooing to her softly. Hearing her baby tell her she was mean broke Shelby's heart. She didn't want her child to think she was mean. Shelby looked at her brother with watery eyes; he gave her a knowing look and reached over to squeeze her shoulder reassuringly.

"We'll go home as soon as we can, Rach," Shelby said, rubbing Rachel's back.

"Noooo," Rachel moaned, her tears dripping onto Shelby's t-shirt collar. "Mommy, I hate—"

Shelby didn't find out what her baby hated because at that same moment, a young male nurse in light blue scrubs called for Rachel Corcoran. She was so relieved when she heard Rachel's name. Hopefully it wouldn't take too much longer to figure out what was wrong with Rachel's wrist and they could get her patched up and on her way.

"C'mon baby, it won't be much longer now," Shelby said as she stood Rachel up and got up herself. She wrapped her arm around her child's shoulder and tried to get her to move, but Rachel was proving stubborn.

"No, let's go home! I don't want to do this! Mommy, don't make me!" Rachel cried, digging her heels into the carpeted floor.

"Rach—"

"No, Mom! It doesn't hurt that bad anymore! Take me home!" Rachel begged, tears falling down her face in rivers. People were starting to stare, but she didn't care. She wanted her mom to take her home.

Shelby looked over at her brother, not knowing what to do. Rachel's cries were tearing at her heart and she wanted nothing more than to scoop her up in her arms and make everything go away.

Jack watched as Rachel began to have a meltdown in the middle of the waiting room and Shelby tried in vain to soothe her. Taking a deep breath, he walked over to Rachel and—careful of her arm—swung her up over his shoulder and marched towards the waiting nurse. He wasn't fazed at all when the girl started slapping his back and wiggling to get down, he simply held on tighter.

"C'mon, Shel," he called over his shoulder when his sister didn't follow.

Shelby was so shocked when Jack threw Rachel over his shoulder that she stood there gaping at his retreating back. She heard him call for her and she quickly shook off her surprise and caught up with him.

Rachel was crying and pounding on her uncle's back with her good hand while demanding to be let down. She still couldn't believe he had scooped her up and thrown her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He acted like it was nothing and was a completely normal thing to do to your niece.

"Put me down!" Rachel cried, thumping her uncle's shoulder blade with her fist. She gasped and stilled when he gave her a quick smack on the bottom. It surprised her more than hurt, and certainly got her attention.

Jack was glad his pop to the girl's rear had settled her down. Her little fist had hit his shoulder blade just right and damn it had hurt! He wasn't angry or even upset with her for it, but he also didn't want to get hit like that again.

Once they had reached the door where the nurse was standing, Jack set Rachel on her feet and the girl immediately attached herself to her mother's side. He couldn't help but smirk when she gave him a withering glare before turning away from him.

"You must be Rachel. My name's Brad," the nurse said, giving Rachel a warm smile. He could tell the teen was nervous. Most people who came into the ER were, and Brad made it his mission to make sure his patients were at ease while under his care. "You can follow me."

Shelby smiled at Brad and guided Rachel down the hall after him. He seemed like a nice guy, probably in his late thirties. He had warm brown eyes that somehow still managed to sparkle in the harsh florescent lights.

Brad led the three into a small curtained off section with a bed and two chairs. "Rachel, if you'll jump up on the bed for me, I'll take your vitals and then I'll get you a gown to change in to," he said, patting the mattress.

Rachel held onto her mom tighter and tried to hide behind the woman. She didn't like the sound of vitals—it sounded like it would involve blood being taken. Well, she wasn't sure, but she was afraid that's what it would involve.

"Mom, I want to go home," she whispered tearfully.

Shelby felt Rachel reach up to grasp the back of her t-shirt. "Sweetheart, it's going to be okay," she soothed as she turned and bent forward to be on Rachel's level. "Brad here is just going to take your blood pressure and temperature. Aren't you, Brad?" Shelby added with a glance at the man.

"Yeah, that's all I'm going to do," Brad agreed. He already had the blood pressure monitor pulled up next to the bed. "I promise it won't hurt, Rachel."

"You can't take any blood," Rachel told Brad in no uncertain terms as she hopped up on the bed with her mother's help. She leaned into her mom's side as Brad placed the pressure cuff on her arm.

"I don't think we'll need to draw any blood, Rachel," replied Brad, pulling his stethoscope from around his neck and putting it in his ears.

He made quick work of taking Rachel's pressure and temperature, jotting the numbers down in her chart. "Your blood pressure is a little high, but that's no doubt due to stress and pain. Temperature is normal."

Rachel started tuning Brad out. She was glad he wasn't coming near her with any needles, but she hoped it'd stay that way. She _hated_ needles. He didn't stay much longer; he asked some questions about how Rachel had hurt herself. She let her mom answer most of them while she hid her head in the woman's chest. Before he left, he pulled out a hospital gown and told Rachel to change into it.

"She can keep on her underwear and bra. Everything else needs to come off. You can put her clothes in this bag," he said to Shelby, handing her a plastic drawstring bag. "The doctor should be in soon, but if you need anything, you can press the red button on the remote attached to the bed," Brad added as he left and pulled the curtain closed.

"I'll give you two some privacy. I'll be right outside," Jack said as he made his own departure.

Shelby sighed and turned to her daughter who looked at her with such sad eyes. "C'mon Rach, I'll help you out of your clothes," she said, helping the girl stand.

"Mommy, please…can't we go home?" Rachel asked, a tear making its way down her face. She was hoping now that she had her mother alone, she might be able to convince her to leave. "I really don't hurt that bad anymore. We can go home."

"Rach, your wrist and arm are swollen to almost twice their size. We aren't going anywhere until you're looked at," Shelby said gently as she unbuttoned Rachel's pink Bermuda shorts.

Rachel shook her head and tried to step away from her mother, but Shelby hooked a finger in one of the belt loops on Rachel's shorts so she couldn't go anywhere. She quickly had the zipper undone and was now working on pulling the shorts down. It was hard because Rachel was trying her best to make it as difficult as possible for her mother.

"Rachel, please stand still," Shelby said with a sigh. She couldn't bring herself to be even the slightest bit annoyed with the girl because she knew she was scared and was only acting out of fear.

Rachel kicked off her tennis shoes while her mom held her steady and then stepped out of her shorts when Shelby told her to. She gave her mom big, sad eyes when she told her to lift her arms so Shelby could pull Rachel's tank top off.

"Almost done, baby," Shelby cooed as she unfolded the hospital gown.

She could already tell it was going to be huge on the small teen. She slipped it on over Rachel's arms and then turned her around so she could tie up the back. Shelby tied it as tight as she could, but it hung loosely around Rachel's shoulders and the girl's blue and yellow striped underwear were visible through the opening in the back. It would have to do though. Shelby kissed Rachel's head before helping the girl up onto the bed and pulling the flat sheet over her legs so she wouldn't feel so exposed.

"Jack, you can come back in," Shelby called a second later.

Hearing his cue, Jack reemerged from behind the curtains and made his way over to Rachel to give her a kiss. He smiled when she tried to shy away from him.

"Still upset with me, kiddo?" he asked gently.

Rachel blushed and looked at anything besides her uncle. She wasn't exactly upset, but it was embarrassing to have been carried like that, first off, and then for him to pop her bottom—someone could have seen! They probably _did_ _!_

"Anything I can do to get back on your good side, squirt?" Jack asked, his eyes twinkling impishly. He was hoping to get the kid to laugh.

"Take me home," Rachel whined with a pout.

Shelby sighed and climbed onto the bed next to Rachel, hoping to ease the child's anxiety as much as she could.

"Shh, why don't you close your eyes and rest until the doctor comes in?" she soothed, rubbing her fingers over Rachel's head. She could feel the girl melt into her side and her breathing settle down.

 **Open Arms * Open Arms * Open Arms**

Rachel was starving by the time they pulled back up to the house three hours later. It had taken _forever_ at the hospital, and the girl was now sporting a full arm cast that ended halfway between her elbow and shoulder. Rachel had cried all over again when the doctor came back with her x-rays and told her she needed to be put in a cast. It wasn't even a _cool_ cast; the hospital was out of the colored options and Rachel was stuck with plain old white plaster.

Jack had no sooner parked the truck in the driveway than adults and kids came rushing up to the doors. Lexi banged her hand against her father's window while Michael pushed his nose against the glass of the back passenger side, wanting to get the first glance at Rachel.

"Hey, get off the glass! I just washed it!" Jack scolded lightly as he opened his door and climbed out. He welcomed the hug from his daughter, planting a quick kiss to the top of her head.

"Jack, Shelby, how did everything go? What did the doctors say? How's Rach— _Oh!"_ Diane gasped upon seeing her granddaughter climb out of the car.

"Oh sweetheart," she breathed, hurrying over to the girl. "Look at you, my poor dear! Come inside, let's get some food in your belly. I made brownies while you were gone, just for you."

Rachel smiled despite her pain and exhaustion, soaking up the attention from her nana. She leaned into the woman and accepted the flurry of kisses now being pressed to her head and cheeks.

"Whoa, Rachel, can I sign your cast?" Michael said in awe, staring at the blank canvas in front of him. His mind tumbled as he considered everything that he could draw on his cousin's cast—it would be epic, of course!

"Not tonight, Michael," Shelby answered, echoing his pout. "The doctor said no one could write on it for a few days. Rachel is in a lot of pain right now and needs time to feel better. I'm sure she'll let you sign it next time you're over," she added to appease the boy.

The twelve-year-old sighed and nodded, hurrying back towards the house. He was disappointed that he wouldn't be able to draw anything tonight, but he didn't want to hurt Rachel either. He just hoped he'd be the first one to place his mark on his cousin's cast.

Shelby let her family file past her and up to the house. She was waiting on Jack, rolling her eyes at her brother's actions. He was currently wiping down the back window with an old t-shirt he had tucked in his toolbox, trying in vain to remove Michael's nose print.

"Will you hurry up? I'm hungry," Shelby called to him.

"Damn crazy kid," Jack muttered to himself as he gave up, throwing the shirt back where he found it. With a crooked grin he shuffled over to Shelby and threw an arm around her shoulders. "So how you doing, kid?"

Shelby sighed and rested her head against her brother's shoulder. "Okay, I guess. Glad she's fixed and we're home. I still can't help but feel guilty," she said.

"That's normal. It's natural to be upset when your kid gets hurt. It wasn't your fault though. I want you to keep reminding yourself of that," said Jack.

"I'll try," Shelby nodded. "Thanks for going with me tonight. I'm not sure I could have handled it by myself."

"No problem, Shelbs. You did great. I'm proud of you," answered Jack.

Shelby straightened up and stepped back from her brother, looking up into his blue eyes. She shook her head. "You were the one who made me realize I was making a mess of it all. I should have been focused solely on Rachel and I wasn't."

"Don't be so hard on yourself. Being a parent is hard, and the rest of us had time to figure it out. Believe me, we have all made a mess at one time or another—tonight wasn't a mess though. You had a moment of freak out. You snapped out of it and were Super Mom. Seriously, Shel, you're doing fantastic with that kid. And you didn't have any time to figure it out while she was little. You've been thrown in headfirst. Sink or swim, baby, and you are Olympic-level swimming," Jack encouraged.

Shelby gave her brother a watery smile, brushing away the tears that threatened to fall. "I love you, Jack," she sniffed.

"Love you too. Now let's go get some food," Jack replied, throwing his arm back around Shelby and the two of them heading into the house.

"There you two are!" Diane said as Shelby and Jack entered the kitchen. "Sit and I'll bring you your plates!"

Rachel was already seated at the kitchen table, trying without much success to twirl her spaghetti with her left hand. Shelby hurried to grab a butter knife from the drawer and then came to lean over her daughter. She took the girl's fork from her and quickly cut the noodles along with the meatballs.

"Try that," she said as she straightened, handing her child back her fork.

Rachel hunched her shoulders as her mother came to stand over her, Shelby's arms wrapping down on either side of the girl as she cut up her food. As she stood, Rachel tilted her head up to meet her mom's eyes and gave her a grateful smile. Her attention turned back to her plate when her stomach gave a mighty growl and she clumsily brought a forkful of food up to her mouth.

Shelby placed a kiss to Rachel's head and then plopped into the chair next to her at the head of the table. Lauren sat down across from Rachel, Jack taking the seat to Lauren's right. Sarah claimed the chair opposite Shelby at the other end of the table, and Diane took the remaining seat next to her granddaughter, setting a plate down in front of Jack and Shelby.

Shelby's eyes began to wander as she ate. Her father and Todd sat at two of the barstools at the counter, and Michael came to lean up against Lauren while the older kids watched TV in the living room.

"Where are Ben and Lisa and the boys?" Shelby asked after a moment.

"The boys were getting restless, so they left after we finished dinner," John answered.

The family settled into casual conversation as Shelby, Jack, and Rachel had their dinner. Shelby and Jack recounted their hospital visit, complete with the now exaggerated telling of Shelby attacking the ER nurse.

"I thought she was going to go over the counter at the woman!" Jack exclaimed over the roar of laughter.

"I wasn't that bad!" Shelby defended, crossing her arms with a pout.

Jack cackled and cleared his throat as he prepared to imitate Shelby in a high falsetto, _"Do you know who I am? I'm the best damn singer on Broadway and if you don't get a doctor out here to see my kid right away I'll clobber you with my two Tony awards!"_

Shelby cried out in indignation and threw the hard end of her garlic bread at her brother; it hit him square in the forehead and bounced onto the table, leaving a trail of breadcrumbs as it went.

"Shelby!" Diane scolded, moving to clean up the mess her youngest had created. "Don't you even _think_ about it!" she added to her son, seeing him reach for the discarded bread.

"I'm not thinking," Jack repeated his well-worn childhood response to his mother's threat, holding his hands up in surrender.

Diane harrumphed, throwing the crumbs and bread onto Jack's empty plate. She gave her son a warning glare before repeating it on Shelby and then reached for all three plates. As soon as she turned to carry them to the sink, Shelby and Jack made faces at her.

"Don't make me get my slipper out, you two!" Diane warned, her back still turned.

"Jack started it," Shelby grumbled with a roll of her eyes.

"And I can finish it, young lady," Diane said as she finished her task.

"Mama—"

"Enough. Who wants brownies? Rachel?"

Rachel's head lulled to the side before dropping to her chest. "Huh?" she breathed, her eyes then popping open in surprise.

"I think someone is ready for bed," Shelby chuckled.

"But Nana said brownies," the teen protested, a yawn escaping her lips.

The adults all laughed, much to Rachel's chagrin. She didn't joke about her grandmother's brownies.

"Tomorrow, honey. You're falling asleep where you sit. It's bedtime," Shelby said.

Rachel blushed as she eyed the rest of her family. She hated being treated like a little kid in front of them. She opened her mouth to protest, but Shelby was already up and pulling Rachel to her feet.

"Mom, no," she whined, fighting against Shelby's hold. "Everyone is still here."

"No we're not," said Diane with a shake of her head. "I think it's time we all went home. It's been a long day. Shelby, call me tomorrow, please—no exceptions," she added with a wink to her youngest.

"Okay, Ma," Shelby nodded, thankful for her mother's quick thinking.

Shelby accepted hugs from all the adults and gave her own to the kids, along with several kisses a piece. She smirked when the boys groaned and rubbed their cheeks afterwards. Lexi and Haley, however, cuddled into her for a moment and didn't seem to mind her kisses. Shelby pulled back and smiled, watching the kids hurry to their parents as they all clambered into their cars.

Once the last car was backing out of the driveway, Shelby turned to her daughter, smiling at the girl's deep pout.

"C'mon, honey, let's get you to bed," she soothed, wrapping her arm around her girl and steering her back into the house.

* * *

 _ **That's it for this chapter! The next chapter, Jealousy, will focus on just that! Quinn will make her appearance for the first time, and we'll see more from the family. Let me know if there's anything you're dying to see. Maybe it will make it into chapter 13 as well! :)**_


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